NASA is moving forward with an ambitious plan to place a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, a project intended to power future human bases but facing concerns over cost, safety, and feasibility. The directive, issued in July by acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy and obtained by NPR, underscores the U.S. push to secure a strategic foothold as China and Russia advance their own lunar nuclear initiatives.
“There’s a certain part of the moon that everyone knows is the best. We have ice there. We have sunlight there. We wanna get there first and claim that for America,” Duffy said during a Tuesday press conference, stressing that nuclear power is essential for sustaining life beyond Earth.
Why Nuclear Power on the Moon?
While solar panels have long powered spacecraft, experts say they cannot sustain long-term lunar missions because the Moon experiences two-week nights. Roger Myers, a specialist in space-based nuclear energy, explained that “the sun and batteries do not work” for such durations. NASA’s proposed reactor would generate at least 100 kilowatts of electricity, enough for about 70 to 80 homes, far less than a typical U.S. nuclear plant but sufficient for a lunar outpost.
How It Would Work
Lunar reactors operate similarly to those on Earth, using controlled nuclear reactions in uranium fuel to generate heat and produce electricity. The challenge, without an atmosphere or water, is that excess heat must be radiated directly into space, requiring large radiators and higher operating temperatures.
Safety and Risks
Moonquakes and meteorite strikes are potential hazards, though considered unlikely. Without wind or water, radioactive material would remain contained if a reactor were damaged. The greater risks lie in launching and retiring the reactor. The 1978 Soviet Kosmos 954 incident, when a malfunctioning nuclear satellite scattered radioactive debris over Canada, remains a cautionary example. NASA plans to keep uranium fuel non-radioactive during launch and activate the reactor only after reaching a “nuclear safe orbit” more than 600 miles above Earth.
Funding and Timeline Challenges
The initiative comes as NASA faces budget constraints and staffing losses. Although the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act injects $10 billion in funding through 2032 for lunar and Mars missions, the reactor could cost around $3 billion over five years. Experts warn that the 2030 deadline may be overly optimistic, urging a multi-agency review process to ensure safety and scientific integrity.
Kathryn Huff, a nuclear engineering professor and former Department of Energy official, emphasized that the mission should focus on scientific collaboration, not solely geopolitical competition. “You have to center a lot of this work, in the scientific and technological community rather than in a community of the military and defense,” she said.
If successful, the project would mark the first use of nuclear power to sustain human presence on the Moon, and a significant milestone in the new era of space exploration.
Written By Rodney Mbua
