Nasa to build nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030

NASA will plan quickly to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030, according to the American media.

It is part of our ambitions to build a permanent human base to live on the moon.

According to Politico, the Acting NASA president referred to similar plans by China and Russia and said that these two countries “can announce the retaining zone” on the moon.

But there are still questions about the realistic goal and time frame, given the recent budget cuts in NASA, and some scientists are concerned that plans are driven by geopolitical goals.

Countries, including the United States, China, Russia, India and Japan, are accelerating to explore the surface of the moon, with some permanent human settlements.

“To properly apply this critical technology to be able to support the future lunar economy, generate high energy in Mars, and enhance our national security in space, it is necessary that the agency move quickly,” said US Minister of Transport Sean Dove, who was appointed as a temporary head of NASA.

Mr. Duffy called for suggestions from commercial companies to build a reactor that can generate at least 100 kilowatts of energy.

This is relatively small. The typical rural turbine is born on the beach 2-3 megawatts.

The idea of building a nuclear reactor as an energy source on the moon is not new.

In 2022, NASA released three contracts worth $ 5 million for companies to design a reactor.

In May this year, China and Russia announced that it plans to build an automatic nuclear power plant on the surface of the moon by 2035.

Many scientists agree that it will be better or perhaps a way to provide continuous energy on the moon.

The moon’s day is equivalent to four weeks on Earth, consisting of two weeks of persistent sunlight and two darkness. This makes reliance on solar energy very difficult.

Dr. Songu, a great lecturer in space requests, exploration and devices at Sari University, suggests that “build a modest moon habitats to accommodate a small crew.

“The nuclear energy is not only desirable, it is inevitable.”

Lionel Wilson, a professor of Earth Sciences and Planets at the University of Lancaster, believes that it is technically possible to put reactors on the moon by 2030 “given the commitment of enough money”, and highlights the presence of designs already for small reactors.

“It is just a matter of enough of the launch of Artemis to build the moon’s infrastructure by that time,” he added, referring to the Artemis Spaceflight program in NASA, which aims to send people and equipment to the moon.

There are also some questions about safety.

“The launch of radioactive materials across the Earth’s atmosphere brings safety concerns. You must have a special license to do this, but it cannot be overcome,” says Dr. Simyon Barber, planetary science specialist at the Open University.

Mr. Dofi’s direction was a surprise after the recent turmoil in NASA after the Trump administration announced 24 % discounts on NASA budgets in 2026.

This includes discounts to a large number of science programs such as the return of the Mars sample that aims to return samples from the surface of the planet to Earth.

Scientists are also concerned that this advertisement is a step -by -motivated step in the new international race to the moon.

“We seem to return to the old old space race days, which, from a scientific perspective, is somewhat disappointing,” says Dr. Barber.

“The competition can create innovation, but if there is a narrowest focus on national interest and the creation of ownership, you can lose sight of the largest image that explores the solar system and beyond.”

It seems that Mr. Duffy’s comments on the capabilities of China and Russia “announce that the retaining area” on the surface of the moon indicates an agreement called Artemis Accords.

In 2020, seven countries signed an agreement to define principles on how countries cooperated on the moon.

The agreements include the so -called safety areas that will be established on the operations and assets that the two countries adopt on the moon.

“If you build a nuclear reactor or any type of base on the moon, you can start claiming that you have a safety area around it, because you have equipment there,” says Dr. Barber.

“For some people, this is like,” we have this part of the moon, and we will work here and we cannot come. “

Dr. Barber notes that there are obstacles to overcome them before placing a nuclear reactor on the surface of the moon for use of humans.

ARTEMIS 3 from NASA aims to send humans to the surface of the moon in 2027, but it faced a series of back and uncertainty about financing.

He added: “If you have a nuclear energy for a base, but you have no way to get people and equipment there, this is not a great benefit.”

“The plans do not appear very joined at the present time,” he said.