- NASA and the US Department of Energy signed an MoU to build a lunar nuclear reactor by 2030
- The reactor will use fission power to provide safe, continuous electricity for long lunar missions
- The project supports US policy to return to the Moon and prepare for Mars exploration
NASA and the US Department of Energy on Tuesday (Jan 13) announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop and deploy a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030. The development comes in the backdrop of President Donald Trump's December 18, 2025, executive order, “Ensuring American Space Superiority”, which directs the agencies to have a lunar surface reactor ready for launch by the end of the decade.
The reactors will use a fission surface power system, capable of producing “safe” and “plentiful electrical power,” for future long lunar missions, regardless of sunlight or temperature.
“Under President Trump's national space policy, America is committed to returning to the Moon, building the infrastructure to stay, and making the investments required for the next giant leap to Mars and beyond,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
“Achieving this future requires harnessing nuclear power. This agreement enables closer collaboration between NASA and the Department of Energy to deliver the capabilities necessary to usher in the Golden Age of space exploration and discovery.”
The deployment of the lunar surface reactor is aimed at enabling future sustained lunar missions by providing continuous and abundant power, regardless of sunlight or temperature.
“History shows that when American science and innovation come together, from the Manhattan Project to the Apollo Mission, our nation leads the world to reach new frontiers once thought impossible,” said US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
Lunar Race
America is not the only country to come up with its lunar nuclear plans. In May last year, China and Russia also announced plans to build an automated nuclear power station on the Moon. According to a Reuters report, Russia's state space corporation, Roscosmos, said it planned to build a lunar power plant by 2036 and signed a contract with the Lavochkin Association aerospace company to do it.
"The project is an important step towards the creation of a permanently functioning scientific lunar station and the transition from one-time missions to a long-term lunar exploration programme," Roscosmos said.
Roscosmos did not say explicitly that the plant would be nuclear but it said the participants included Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the Kurchatov Institute, Russia's leading nuclear research institute.
