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NASA has unveiled an ambitious project that will mark a milestone in the history of lunar exploration: the construction of a nuclear reactor on the surface of the Moon by 2030.
This initiative is shaping up to be the heart of future inhabited bases on the natural satellite and is directly framed within a geopolitical competition with China and Russia.
“The United States government has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars studying whether it is possible to build the reactor,” declared Sean Duffy, acting administrator of NASA and Secretary of Transportation under the Donald Trump administration, during a press conference covered by the EFE.
Duffy confirmed that this plan is not new, but it is urgent.
"This is not a new concept; it has been discussed under Trump (2017-2021) and under Biden (2021-2025). However, we are in the race to the Moon, and in the race to the Moon with China, and to have a base on the Moon, we need energy."
“There is a certain part of the Moon that everyone knows is the best. We have ice there, we have sunlight there, we want to get there first and claim it for the United States,” Duffy said.
The information was originally released by the American outlet Politico, based on an internal NASA report.
"They have instructed us to start deploying our technology, to move forward and make this a reality," Duffy insisted.
Energy to sustain life... and sovereignty
The nuclear reactor proposed by NASA would have a capacity of 100 kilowatts, enough power to supply a house of almost 200 square meters every three and a half days.
According to Duffy, although "it's not a huge technology," it is an indispensable tool:
"Energy is important and, when it comes to sustaining life on the Moon and then going to Mars, this technology is critically important," he noted.
The proposal aims to address a structural problem of lunar settlements: prolonged cycles of darkness.
A lunar day is equivalent to 28 Earth days, with two weeks of continuous light followed by two weeks of darkness.
"Building even a modest lunar habitat to accommodate a small crew would require a megawatt-scale power generation."
“Solar panels and batteries alone cannot reliably meet those demands,” noted Dr. Sungwoo Lim, a professor of space applications at the University of Surrey, in statements to BBC.
"Nuclear energy is not only desirable, it is inevitable," added Professor Lim.
The physicist Lionel Wilson from Lancaster University, also consulted by BBC, considered that the plan is feasible.
"It is technically possible to place reactors on the Moon by 2030, given the commitment of sufficient funds. It's just a matter of having enough Artemis launches to build the infrastructure," he pointed out.
Artemis: The program that will make it possible
The construction of the reactor is part of the Artemis program.
According to Duffy, as cited by EFE, NASA plans to launch the Artemis 2 mission early next year, with a crew that will orbit the Moon.
Later, Artemis 3 will aim to achieve a lunar landing with a stay of six days, double the current record. Afterwards, materials and infrastructure will be sent to begin the construction of a lunar base.
The Chinese precedent and the fear of the "exclusion zone"
The international context is key to understanding the urgency of the project.
In May 2025, China and Russia announced plans to build an automated nuclear power plant on the Moon by 2035.
Duffy -according to a quote from Politico and reported by BBC- warned that those countries "could potentially declare an exclusion zone" on the Moon, which is interpreted as a maneuver to establish territorial control under the guise of operational security.
Dr. Simeon Barber, a planetary sciences expert from the Open University in the United Kingdom, warned that the deployment of nuclear equipment could become a geopolitical tool
"If you build a nuclear reactor or any kind of base on the Moon, you can start claiming that you have a security zone around it because you have equipment there... For some people, this is equivalent to saying: 'we own this little piece of the Moon, we are going to operate here, and you cannot enter.'"
These areas are recognized in the Artemis Agreements, signed in 2020 by seven countries, including the United States; however, their interpretation may vary and lead to tensions.
Risks, budgets, and criticisms
The idea of building a nuclear reactor on the Moon is not new.
In 2022, NASA awarded contracts worth five million dollars to private companies to design prototypes.
On this occasion, Duffy officially requested companies to submit proposals to build a functional system of at least 100 kilowatts.
But concerns persist. Dr. Barber warns:
"Releasing radioactive material into the Earth's atmosphere poses safety issues. A special license is required to do so, but it is not insurmountable."
Moreover, budget cuts could jeopardize the plan.
The Trump Administration has proposed a 24% cut to NASA's budget for 2026, impacting key projects such as the return of samples from Mars.
In that context, Duffy's surprising directive has been interpreted as a political maneuver.
"It seems we are going back to the old days of the early space races, which, from a scientific perspective, is somewhat disappointing and concerning," asserted Barber.
"Competition can drive innovation, but if we focus more on national interests and establishing ownership, we may lose sight of the bigger picture: exploring the solar system and beyond."
A fragmented lunar future?
The outlook is uncertain. NASA is working to accelerate its program, while other space powers proceed with their own plans. Although the technology is within reach, as Dr. Barber reminds us, there are still operational inconsistencies
"If you have nuclear energy for a base, but you have no way to transport people and equipment there, then it isn't very useful. The plans don't seem very coordinated at this moment."
However, Duffy seems determined to move forward: “We need to focus on going to the Moon, which is what we are going to do.”
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