Newly appointed NASA interim Administrator and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced an accelerated plan to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, Politico reported, citing internal documents.

This marks Duffy’s first major directive since taking over the space agency and comes amid rising concerns about China and Russia’s growing cooperation in lunar exploration.

100-kilowatt reactor by 2030

While NASA has previously explored the idea of nuclear energy on the Moon, the new plan lays out a clear timeline for deploying a 100-kilowatt reactor, significantly larger than the 40-kilowatt system previously funded by the agency. According to the documents, the goal is to have the reactor fully operational on the lunar surface by the end of this decade.

The directive, expected to be publicly released this week, instructs NASA to begin soliciting proposals from private companies and appoint a project leader within the next 60 days.

Concerns over Lunar ‘Keep-Out Zone’

The push to expedite the projectis partly driven by fears that whichever country first establishes a reactor on the Moon could create a “keep-out zone,” effectively restricting access to other nations. China, which is collaborating with Russia on a joint lunar base, is reportedly aiming to land astronauts on the Moon around the same time, by 2030, raising alarms in Washington about potential space dominance.

Beyond the Moon, the directive also prioritises the urgent development of a successor to the ageing International Space Station (ISS). The documents indicate that NASA plans to award contracts to at least two commercial space station developers within six months of issuing a formal request for proposals.

The agency aims to have a commercial space station in orbit by 2030 to prevent any gap in U.S. presence in space. This timeline is crucial as China’sTiangong station is currently the only permanently crewed alternative.

With these bold moves, NASA under Duffy is expected to fast-track its strategic objectives in space, responding to mounting geopolitical competition while ensuring the U.S. maintains its leadership in extraterrestrial exploration and technology.