U.S., China, and Russia race to put nuclear reactor on the Moon

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - NASA declared its intent to put a nuclear reactor on the Moon by the year 2030 to support lunar exploration, provide power generation on Mars, and strengthen national security in space.

According to NASA, since March 2024, China and Russia have announced on at least three occasions a joint effort to place a reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s. The first country to do so could potentially declare a keep-out zone, which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first.

“Today’s call for industry input is an important step toward engaging the commercial space industry in powering the lunar economy and enabling future human exploration on Mars,” said Steve Sinacore, Fission Surface Power program executive