NASA To Build Nuclear Reactor on the Moon: What To Know

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will reportedly announce a timeline for NASA to build a nuclear reactor on the moon this week.

The interim administrator of the space agency is moving forward one of NASA’s most ambitious long-term plans with the goal of “winning the second space race,” Politico reported, citing internal documents.

Newsweek has contacted NASA for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Earlier this year, NASA laid off 10 percent of its workforce as part of the Trump administration’s broader federal government downsizing initiative. The federal employee buyout program implemented by President Donald Trump‘s administration has led to 750 employees voluntarily resigning, and about 1,000 probationary employees were terminated when the policy first began in February. The layoffs have raised concerns about the agency’s ability to maintain critical projects.

Reports of the planned lunar nuclear reactor also raises questions about the timing of NASA’s Artemis II moon mission, which has been delayed repeatedly.

What To Know

According to Politico, Duffy said in the documents that the accelerated timeline was prompted by fears that China and Russia would be able to get a reactor on the moon by the mid-2030s and effectively gatekeep lunar activity.

Under the accelerated timeline, the nuclear reactor would be ready to launch in late 2029 and would be required to generate a minimum 100 kilowatts of electrical power, The New York Times reported.

The Politico report, published on Monday, also said NASA would be moving up its timeline to replace the International Space Station. The space station, now more than two decades old, is set to be retired at the end of 2030 via a controlled reentry.

Duffy is set to call for the appointment of a dedicated NASA official who would oversee the effort within 30 days and for a request seeking proposals from commercial companies to be issued within 60 days, The New York Times reported.

The timeline for the launch is tight as NASA plans to return to the moon in 2027 for the Artemis program, the progress of which is already being contested.

How Would a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon Work

A lunar nuclear reactor would be designed to operate in an environment that is vastly different from Earth—one with no atmosphere, extreme temperature swings and prolonged periods of light and darkness.

Unlike solar arrays, which can be hampered by the moon’s two-week-long nights, a fission-based nuclear reactor could provide continuous, reliable power to support habitats, life-support systems, scientific experiments and industrial operations such as mining and fuel production.

The most likely design would be a compact fission reactor using uranium fuel, heavily shielded to protect astronauts from radiation. It would convert heat from nuclear fission into electricity using Stirling engines or other heat-to-power conversion systems. The unit could be buried beneath lunar regolith (the layer of unconsolidated solid material covering the bedrock of a moon or planet) to further reduce radiation exposure and to regulate temperature, with remote control and monitoring systems allowing for autonomous operation when humans aren’t nearby.

“The truth is that nuclear is the only option to power a moonbase,” Simon Middleburgh, a researcher at the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University in the U.K., told the BBC in April 2024.

“We can’t take fuel up there. Solar panels won’t work. Diesel generators won’t work and the old-style radio-thermal generators just aren’t big enough to pack a punch,” he added.

Are Nuclear Reactors Safe in Space?

While nuclear power is a proven technology in space—having been used in deep-space probes such as Voyager and Curiosity—deploying it on the moon presents unique challenges. These include safely launching nuclear material from Earth, ensuring reactor stability in low gravity and managing waste heat.

What People Are Saying

A senior NASA official who spoke with Politico on the condition of anonymity said: “It is about winning the second space race. … While the budget did not prioritize nuclear propulsion, that wasn’t because nuclear propulsion is seen as a non-worthy technology.”

NASA said in a 2024 statement on the future of the International Space Station: “In the future, the United States plans to transition its operations in low Earth orbit to commercially owned and operated destinations to ensure continued access to essential research and technology development. At the conclusion of the International Space Station Program, the station will be deorbited in a controlled manner to ensure avoidance of populated areas on Earth.”