Science
US, Russia and China plan lunar nuclear reactors for future moon bases
Al Jazeera reports that NASA targets a lunar reactor by 2030, while Russia and China aim for 2036.
The short version
- Al Jazeera reports NASA plans to develop a lunar nuclear reactor by the end of 2030, following a December 2025 executive order by Donald Trump.[Al Jazeera]
- Russia, working with China, aims to build a lunar reactor by about 2036, with the Selena design expected to produce 10 kilowatts.[Al Jazeera]
- The US says its Lunar Reactor 1 would produce 20 kilowatts and run five years without maintenance.[Al Jazeera]
- US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in August the country is in a race with China to the moon.[Al Jazeera]
Key facts
- NASA announced in January plans to develop a nuclear reactor on the moon by the end of 2030.[Al Jazeera]
- A December 2025 executive order from Donald Trump directed NASA to build a lunar reactor ready to launch by 2030.[Al Jazeera]
- The US says NASA's Lunar Reactor 1 would produce 20 kilowatts and run for five years without maintenance.[Al Jazeera]
- Russia, working with China, aims to build a lunar reactor by 2036, and the Selena reactor is expected to produce 10 kilowatts.[Al Jazeera]
- The Soviet Union launched more than 30 nuclear fission reactors into Earth orbit between the late 1960s and the 1980s.[Al Jazeera]
- The US has spent $20bn on advanced space nuclear programmes over the past 70 years.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- The NASA and Russia-China reactor timelines are stated plans and aims, not confirmed schedules.[Al Jazeera]
- Reactor output and operating-life figures are official or expected projections rather than verified results.[Al Jazeera]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.