NASA races China and Russia to build nuclear reactor on moon by 2030

Amid big budget discounts, NASA tracks the development of nuclear reactors on the surface of the moon and space stations from the next generation with one clear goal: overcoming American opponents in the new space race.

New notes signed by NASA president and Transport Secretary Sean Duffy are determined by a bold strategy to secure a strategic ground on the moon. The focus of this effort is a nuclear reactor, which is a renewable and stable energy source to support long -term exploration.

“The goal is to run everything,” a NASA senior official told Fox News Digital. “Our systems, our habitats, Rover, automatic equipment, and even future mining operations – everything we want to do on the surface of the moon depends on that.”

Moon environment makes this necessity. The day of its day for a month-two weeks of daylight, followed by two weeks of darkness-make solar energy unreliable. The reactor will allow work tasks around the clock.

The Minister of Transport, Dafi, to announce the plan to develop the nuclear reactor of the moon

China and Russia put scenes on the moon

NASA officials warn that China and Russia have publicly announced plans for a joint destroyed nuclear project by mid -2010. If they succeed first, they can define exclusive control over the most valuable areas in the moon and sites that contain most light and access to water and ice.

“They can create the” retaining area “in the initial sites.

Despite the financial restrictions, the Duffy leadership indicates a renewed priority in the exploration of Lunar and Martian.

“China has already landed on the other side of the moon. We never had,” the official added. “They are moving on a fixed path to control this field.”

The International Space Station will come out in 2030. (Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP, File)

The structure of a new contract to develop the nuclear reactor

The new guidance requires proposals for a nuclear reactor of 100 kilowatts-enough to operate about 80 houses-with a targeted date of 2030. NASA also requires the appointment of a commander for the program.

Today, many automatic spacecraft work in only a few watts, which is equivalent to electrical lamps, which strongly limits scientific capabilities. Although ISS uses solar panels, this model does not work on the moon or Mars, as sunlight is very weak or unreliable.

ISS replacement: commercial stations on the horizon

The second memo turns into a focus on replacing and leaking international space station (ISS), which is scheduled to retire in 2030. Without Khalifa, China will become the only country with a permanent crew station in orbit.

NASA is now planning to choose commercial partners within six months of issuing new requests for proposals. Under the supervision of Duffy, the agency moves away from the traditional contracts for fixed prices and will instead use the flexible space law agreements, which give companies more freedom in how to build stations while saving time and money.

Chinese satellites are the leading task, 22,000 miles above Earth

“We are telling companies what we need,” said a senior NASA official. “But we do not describe how they should do it. This flexibility provides us with time and resources.”

NASA wants the new station to be cheaper and easier to keep it from ISS. Originally, depict a platform that can host astronauts for six months. However, under the revised plan, the minimum requirements are four astronauts for only one month.

NASA wants a new spacecraft that can include four astronauts for one month. (NASA via Getty Images)

The background: The Earth’s Earth’s Earth’s Earth Earth Earth program program

The NASA, which was launched in 2021, was organized in 2021, in two phases:

• The first stage: box companies – such as blue origin and Northrop Grumman – to design private space stations.
• The second stage: contracts for granting and certifying the selected stations.

Duffy is called to overcome fixed price contracts in the second stage and continue the space law agreements, in line with budget restrictions.

Budget discounts to reshape the future of NASA

According to the 2026 budget proposal to the Trump administration, the total NASA budget will decrease from 24.8 billion dollars to $ 18.8 billion, by 25 %. The Directorate of Science Mission, which supervises research in the science of planets, astronomical physics, Earth control and Hellenistic physics, will face a decrease of approximately 50 %. However, the Faceflight software for human space is scheduled to increase from funding.

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NASA has also confirmed that approximately 4000 employees – about 20 % of the workforce – have seized voluntary purchases in recent months.

Despite these setbacks, agency officials are still optimistic.

“Many companies tell us that they can connect a station within two years,” said a senior official. “The timelines are always difficult, but we believe that we can achieve these goals – even with a smaller budget.”