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3w ago

NASA Accelerates Plans for 100-kW Moon Reactor by 2030

Sean Duffy’s directive reflects an urgent drive to secure U.S. power infrastructure on the Moon ahead of rival Chinese-Russian efforts.

Imagen conceptual de un reactor nuclear en la superficie lunar. Crédito: NASA.
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 La NASA acelerará los planes para construir un reactor nuclear lunar para el 2030

Overview

  • Acting Administrator Sean Duffy signed a July 31 directive requiring NASA to appoint a nuclear energy project lead within 30 days and issue an industry request for proposals within 60 days.
  • The targeted reactor must generate at least 100 kilowatts of electrical power and be ready for launch by late 2029 or early 2030 to support prolonged lunar operations.
  • NASA will seek bids to develop at least two commercial space stations to succeed the International Space Station by its planned 2030 retirement and maintain continuous human presence in orbit.
  • The reactor initiative stems from strategic competition with China and Russia, who are collaborating on their own lunar reactor and could establish exclusion zones if they deploy first.
  • The White House cut NASA’s FY 2026 budget from $24 billion to $18 billion and slashed climate and science missions by nearly 50 percent to refocus the agency on crewed exploration.