US, China In Hot Race To Put Nuclear Reactors On The Moon

2025-04-25 01:19:58

(MENAFN- Asia Times) Imagine streaming your favorite show or scrolling through your phone, all from the comfort of a home base on the moon. Within the next decade, that sci-fi dream will edge closer to reality – the question is, will an American, Chinese or Russian get there first?

For humans to settle and reside on the moon, scientists must solve two big problems: finding water and generating power. Now, the United States and China, with the help of Russia, are in a high-stakes race to crack the latter by building lunar nuclear reactors.

Both superpowers are now pushing ahead with plans to install fission power plants on the moon's surface. America's NASA is aiming to launch its Fission Surface Power (FSP) system by the early 2030s, while China and Russia plan to build a lunar reactor between 2033 and 2035.

But this is more than a race for power in space. It's a contest over who will shape the rules - and reap the benefits - of the new frontier. On April 23, a top Chinese space official publicly discussed the country's lunar nuclear ambitions for the first time.

Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, told Reuters he hopes China and Russia will jointly build a reactor to power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), citing Russia's global leadership in nuclear space tech.

“An important question for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is power supply. Russia has a natural advantage when it comes to nuclear power plants, especially when sending them into space. It leads the world and it is ahead of the US,” Wu said.

In previous interviews, he said China will send two unmanned spacecraft, Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8, to the moon in 2026 and 2028, respectively. Chinese astronauts will land on the moon around 2030.

He said Chang'e 7 would search for ice on the moon's South Pole while Chang'e 8 would set up telecommunication and energy systems there. He said lunar minerals can be melted at 1,400-1,500 degrees Celsius to produce bricks, which he said can be used to build houses for the ILRS project.

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