By Keerthi Ramesh
The United States is renewing its push to place a nuclear power reactor on the Moon by the end of this decade, officials announced Tuesday, as part of broader plans to build a sustained human presence beyond Earth.
NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding reaffirming their shared commitment to develop a “fission surface power” system designed to operate on the lunar surface by 2030. The pact is intended to strengthen cooperation as both agencies accelerate efforts to support long-term exploration under NASA’s Artemis program and prepare for future missions to Mars.
“Under President Trump’s national space policy, America is committed to returning to the Moon, building the infrastructure to stay, and making the investments required for the next giant leap to Mars and beyond,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement. “Achieving this future requires harnessing nuclear power.”
Officials describe the proposed reactor as a compact, reliable source of electricity capable of operating for years without refueling, a critical advantage in the harsh lunar environment, where sunlight is intermittent and where the Moon’s two-week-long nights make solar arrays less dependable.
Long nights and permanently shadowed craters, particularly at the Moon’s south pole, pose significant challenges for solar power, making nuclear energy appealing for future crewed bases. A reactor on the surface could keep habitats, scientific instruments, rovers and potential resource processing facilities running around the clock, agency engineers have said.
READ: China advances space ambitions to rival Elon Musk’s SpaceX (December 29, 2025)
The project builds on decades of collaboration between NASA and DOE. For nearly half a century, the agencies have worked on nuclear systems for space including the radioisotope thermoelectric generators that power deep-space probes. The new effort aims to scale that experience into a full fission-based plant capable of generating tens of kilowatts of power modest by terrestrial standards but substantial for lunar operations.
DOE Secretary Chris Wright called the effort part of a broader legacy of American scientific achievement, citing past milestones from early nuclear research to the Apollo Moon landings. “This agreement continues that legacy,” he said in a statement.
The timeline, however, poses a major engineering, logistical and regulatory challenge. Space nuclear systems must be designed to survive launch, land safely, and function in an environment with extreme temperature swings and no atmosphere. Regulators must approve the launch of radioactive material, a process that adds complexity and scrutiny.
While supporters argue reliable energy is essential for long-term lunar exploration, some scientists outside the project have questioned whether the ambitious deadline is realistic given technical hurdles and budget constraints facing NASA. Still, backers say mastering space nuclear power is a key stepping stone toward human missions to Mars and deeper space.
The announcement comes as other nations, including China and Russia, are advancing their own lunar interests, prompting U.S. officials to emphasize leadership in space exploration and technology development.