US To Build Nuclear Reactor On Moon? Know How Much NASA Chief’s Plan Could Cost

The Donald Trump administration is pushing ahead in the space race. The acting NASA chief Sean Duffy is soon expected to announce bold new plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030, according to reports.

Duffy, according to a memo reported by the New York Post, wants to fast-track the project, more than doubling the reactor’s power output compared to earlier plans. NASA has already studied the idea of placing a reactor on the moon to support long-term human missions. The goal is to build a 100-kilowatt reactor to power a future lunar base.

Duffy wrote in the memo that the US must act quickly to ensure energy independence in space, especially with the growing competition from Russia and China. He stated that if another country installs a reactor first, it could set up a “keep-out zone” that might block US access to key areas on the moon.

The directive also instructs NASA to appoint a leader for the reactor program and gather input from private industry within 60 days. The space agency is expected to invite space companies to propose plans for delivering the reactor to the moon by 2030.

According to reports, the exact cost of the lunar nuclear reactor is still unknown, but it is expected to run into billions of dollars. In 2022, NASA awarded $5 million each to three companies for early design studies.

The project is part of NASA’s broader Artemis mission, which aims to return humans to the moon and build a sustainable presence there. The total cost of the Artemis program is estimated at $93 billion.

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