NASA Set to Build Nuclear Reactor on Moon by 2030

NASA’s interim administrator, Sean Duffy, has issued a directive to fast-track the development of a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor destined for deployment on the Moon by 2030.

This marks the first major policy initiative under Duffy’s leadership and underscores a strategic shift toward sustainable and secure energy support for long-duration lunar missions.

The directive instructs NASA to solicit proposals from private industry within 60 days, appoint a project leader, and design a reactor capable of powering lunar bases, habitats, and potential Mars missions.

The move escalates previous plans centered on a 40 kW system to a more robust 100 kW design, reflecting the agency’s renewed urgency.

One of the driving motivations behind the accelerated timeline is geopolitical: China and Russia are jointly planning a lunar research base powered by nuclear technology in the mid-2030s.

Duffy’s directive explicitly warns that if those nations deploy a reactor first, they could declare exclusion zones that could limit U.S. access under the Artemis Accords.

Nuclear power on the Moon is considered essential due to the limitations of solar energy during lunar night—each lunar night lasts about 14 Earth days—and permanently shadowed regions.

A 100 kW reactor would ensure an uninterrupted energy supply for life support, communications, research labs, and robotics, particularly in regions holding potential water ice and Helium‑3 resources.

This initiative aligns with NASA’s broader restructuring agenda, which also includes replacing the aging International Space Station with commercially built space stations by 2030.

Contracts for at least two private orbital platforms are expected within six months to maintain a U.S. human presence in Earth orbit.

Despite past efforts in nuclear space power—such as the Kilopower reactor demonstrator and Fission Surface Power research programs—no reactor has yet been deployed. NASA previously awarded contracts to industry partners for designs around 40 kW, but Duffy’s directive signals a major scale-up both in capacity and urgency.

While ambitious, skeptics caution that technical challenges—including safe transport of enriched uranium, reliable lunar landing systems, and ensuring reactor safety—could complicate reaching the 2030 timeline.

In sum, NASA’s accelerated lunar reactor initiative represents a pivotal step toward ensuring energy independence and strategic advantage in the burgeoning era of Moon and Mars exploration, while also reshaping its reliance on public–private partnerships for orbital infrastructure.

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