NASA aims to beat China and Russia in race to build a nuclear reactor on the moon

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 2: A NASA logo is displayed at the entrance to the Mary W

Jackson NASA Headquarters building on June 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)Kevin Carter | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesThe U.S. should deploy a small nu power plant to the surface of the moon before China and Russia are able to do so, the interim head of NASA has told the space agency's staff.NASA should be ready to launch a reactor to the lunar surface by the first quarter of fiscal year 2030, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is serving as the space agency's acting administrator, said in a directive to NASA dated July 31

This would work out to late 2029.China and Russia are aiming to deploy a reactor to the moon by the mid-2030s to power a joint base, officials in Moscow and Beijing have said

The first country to deploy a reactor on the moon "could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first," Duffy warned NASA

The Artemis mission is NASA's lunar exploration gram, which was first announced in 2017.NASA should issue a request for posals to industry within 60 days, according to Duffy's directive

The reactor should be able to generate 100 kilowatts of electricity at a minimum, according to the directive

By contrast, the average nu reactor in the U.S. fleet can power more than 700,000 s.The NASA gram, called Fission Surface Power, will rely on microreactor nology, according to Duffy's directive

But no microreactor has been licensed by the Nu Regulatory Commission, let alone built in the U.S

President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders in May that aim to expedite the commercialization of small nu reactors.Duffy's ambitious directive comes as the Trump administration has posed steep cuts to NASA's budget

The space agency also remains without a Senate-confirmed leader

Trump named Duffy as acting administrator after pulling his original nominee in May amid a feud with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.Politico first reported Duffy's plans to launch a nu reactor to the moon.