U.S. Fast-Tracks Lunar Nuclear Reactor to Counter China-Russia Space Push

President Donald Trump’s acting NASA Administrator, Sean Duffy, has fast-tracked the United States’ plan to deploy a nuclear reactor on the Moon, marking a significant acceleration of an already ambitious initiative. In a directive dated July 31, obtained by The Independent and first reported by Politico, Duffy increased the reactor’s minimum output from NASA’s original 40 kilowatts to at least 100 kilowatts, with a target launch date by 2030.

NASA has long explored the potential of fission surface power (FSP) systems to provide reliable energy for lunar and Martian missions....