Main information
- Sean Duffy, director of NASA, accelerates the construction plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030.
- Duffy aims to build a reactor generating at least 100 kilowatts.
- The Artemis campaign aims to establish a lasting human presence on the Moon and Duffy presents the immediate measures to be taken to develop a reactor.
Sean Duffy, appointed by President Trump at the head of NASA, accelerated the construction plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon. This directive has a more ambitious calendar than that announced above. This is what reports Politico.
NASA’s ambitions accelerate
In collaboration with the government and industrial partners, NASA has been trying for some time to develop a surface fission system on the moon capable of providing at least 40 kilowatts of energy. The new Sean Duffy directive, however, sets a higher objective: a reactor generating at least 100 kilowatts, ready to be launched by 2030.
This accelerated calendar seems to be motivated by concerns about competition from China and Russia, which jointly announced plans in March 2024 to place a lunar reactor by the mid-2030s. Duffy warns that the first country to install a reactor on the Moon could claim exclusive rights in the area, which would hinder the future of the United States.
Artemis program and immediate steps
The objective of the Artemis campaign is to establish a permanent human presence on the moon. In order to guarantee this campaign and the role of the United States in the space field, Duffy immediately took action. He will appoint a program manager within 30 days and will appeal to industrial proposals for a nuclear reactor within 60 days.
Trump’s budget proposal for 2026 allocates $ 350 million (303 million euros) to accelerate the development of these technologies. This funding should increase to $ 500 million (433 million euros) in 2027. However, the total budget proposed by Trump for NASA represents a considerable reduction and would even be the lowest since 1961.