Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator and transportation secretary, is pushing to speed up the installation of a nuclear reactor on the moon, according to a directive he issued Thursday.
As Politico, The New York Times and The Independent report, NASA already has plans to place a small nuclear reactor on the moon, but this directive would set a specific timeline despite significant budget cuts to the agency.
“This is about winning the second space race,” said a senior NASA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the documents before their official release. The documents were first reported by Politico.
Duffy's directive also mentions that he wants to speed up the replacement of the International Space Station than NASA has already planned. The two projects could help the United States get to Mars faster. China has also set its sights on the task.
President Donald Trump's administration has focused on human spaceflight and proposed a 2026 budget that increases funding for that mission while cutting budgets for other programs, including nearly 50% for scientific research.
In building the reactor, Duffy directed NASA to solicit proposals from industry within 60 days for a 100-kilowatt reactor, scheduled to be operational in 2030. The agency is already developing a 40-kilowatt reactor for the moon, scheduled to be operational by the 2030s. A 100-kilowatt reactor would be able to power about 80 U.S. households.
The document also asks for a NASA representative to be appointed to oversee the project within 30 days. China plans to land its first astronaut on the moon in 2030, which may be the reason for the urgency.
“It is critical that the agency act quickly to properly develop this critical technology that can support a future lunar economy, provide powerful energy generation on Mars, and enhance our national security in space,” Duffy said in the directive.
He stressed that the first country to launch a reactor could “declare a no-go zone that would significantly limit the actions of the United States,” referring to the joint plan between Russia and China.
Despite the Pentagon's recent cancellation of the joint nuclear rocket propulsion program, NASA continues to develop nuclear power.
“While the nuclear program was not a budget priority, that does not mean it is considered a useless technology,” a NASA spokesman told Politico.
The ISS is old and leaking, so NASA plans to replace it with a commercial one by changing the contracting process. Once the new station is ready, NASA plans to dump the old one in the ocean.
At least two companies will be awarded contracts within six months of submitting bids. If the new station is not launched by 2030, China will be the only country to have a permanent manned space station in orbit.
A nuclear reactor would be useful for long-term stays on the Moon, but Duffy and NASA have not specified what tasks the reactor would perform.
NASA's Artemis program's first lunar landing is scheduled for 2027, but many experts consider it unlikely. Many components have yet to be tested, including the Starship lunar lander being developed by SpaceX.
Sourse: www.upi.com
