Nasa to build nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030

According to the US Space Agency NASA US Media, by 2030, a plan to create a nuclear reactor on the moon will fast-track.

It is part of America’s ambitions, which build a permanent base for humans to live on the lunar surface.

According to Politico, NASA acting head mentioned similar schemes by China and Russia and stated that they could “announce a possibility of a placing area” on the two countries.

But the questions are about how realistic the target and time limit is, recently and looking at NASA’s budget cuts, and some scientists are concerned that plans are run by geo -political goals.

The nation, including the US, China, Russia, India and Japan, is running to detect the surface of the moon, some planning with permanent human settlements.

US Transport Secretary Sean Dafi, who was appointed as a temporary head of NASA by President Donald Trump, wrote by NASA to US Transport Secretary Sean Dafi, “To pursue this important technique properly, to strengthen high power energy production on Mars, and to strengthen our national security in space, it is necessary that agency moves quickly.”

Mr. Dafi called off proposals from commercial companies to make a reactor that can generate at least 100 kW of power.

It is relatively small. A specific on-a-tonne wind turbine produces 2-3 MW.

The idea of creating a nuclear reactor as a power source on the moon is not new.

In 2022, NASA issued three $ 5m contracts to companies to design a reactor.

And in May this year, China and Russia announced that they plan to build an automated nuclear power station on the moon by 2035.

Many scientists agree that this would be the best or perhaps the only way to provide continuous strength on the lunar surface.

A lunar day is equivalent to four weeks on Earth, made up of two weeks of continuous sunlight and two weeks of darkness. It is very challenging than relying on solar energy.

Senior lecturer of space applications, investigation and instrumentation Dr. Sungavu Lim said, “The construction of a minor lunar habitat to accommodate a small crew will demand megawatt-scale power generation. Solar arrays and batteries alone cannot fully meet those demands.”

“Atomic energy is not only desirable, it is unavoidable,” they say.

Lionel Wilson, professor of Earth and planetary science at the University of Lancaster, believes that it is technically possible to implement the reactors on the Moon by 2030, to implement the commitment of adequate money “, and he highlights that there are already designs for small reactors.

He said, “It is only a matter of Artemis that till then has been launched to build a infrastructure on the moon,” he says, referring to NASA’s Artemis Spaceflight Program, which aims to send people and equipment to the moon.

There are also some questions around security.

Open University planetary science specialist Dr. Shimon Barber says, “Launching radioactive material through the Earth’s atmosphere brings safety concerns. You must have a special license to do so, but it is not inaccessible.”

Mr. Trump’s administration came to NASA as a surprise recently after the upheaval in NASA after the NASA announced a 24% reduction in the budget in 2026.

This involves a cut in a significant number of science programs such as Mars samples returns, which aims to return samples on Earth from the surface of the planet.

Scientists are also concerned that this announcement is a political inspired step for the Moon in the new international race.

“It seems that we are going back to the old First Space Race Days of the competition, which is a little disappointing and related from a scientific point of view,” Dr. Barber says.

“Competition can create innovation, but if a narrow focus is on national interest and ownership, you can lose the big picture that is searching for the solar system and beyond,” they say.

Sri Dafi’s comments about the ability to declare the ability to “declare a carefut zone” on the Moon, probably for the moon and Russia, appear to refer to an agreement called Artemis Acords.

In 2020, seven countries signed an agreement to establish principles as to how countries should cooperate on the surface of the moon.

Accords include the so -called security sector, which are to be installed around operations and assets that construct on the counting moon.

“If you build any kind of base on an atomic reactor or moon, you can start claiming that you have a security area around it, because you have equipment there,” Dr. Barber says.

“For some people, this is the tantamount,” We own this bit of the moon, we are going to work here and you can’t come in “,” He explains.

Dr. Barber explains that there are obstacles to remove atomic reactor on the moon for the use of humans.

NASA’s Artemis 3 aims to send humans to the lunar surface in 2027, but it has faced a series of set-back and uncertainty around funding.

“If you have found nuclear power for a base, but you have not found any way to get people and equipment there, it is not much use,” he said.

“The plans are not much involved at this time,” he said.