US speeds up plans for nuclear reactor on moon amid space competition with China

Nasa’s acting administrator Sean Duffy plans to accelerate the construction of a nuclear reactor that could be used on the moon and alter the way the agency will partner with industry to replace the ageing International Space Station.

The plans, outlined in directives distributed inside Nasa and seen by Bloomberg on Monday, mark the first major policy changes by Duffy after US President Donald Trump appointed him to the role as acting head of the space agency.

One of the directives, first reported by Politico, would aim to speed up the development of a nuclear fission reactor that could be used to generate power on the moon one day and inform future designs for a powerplant that could be used on Mars.

The idea of a nuclear reactor on the moon is not new. Russia proposed the concept years ago and Nasa has recently stepped up its own research.

Nasa previously awarded contracts to commercial companies to come up with designs for small nuclear fission reactors, but Duffy’s directive instructs Nasa to put a call out to industry to create a more powerful reactor, with the goal of having technology ready for launch as early as 2030.

The plan comes against the backdrop of intensifying competition with China, which is aiming to launch its first crewed moon mission around the same time.