NASA Plans Lunar Base and Nuclear Reactor by 2030 Amid Growing Space Race with China

NASA is planning to build a nuclear reactor and establish a permanent base on the Moon by the year 2030. This ambitious plan was unveiled by Sean Duffy, the current interim Administrator of NASA and U.S. Transportation Secretary, during a Department of Transportation press conference on Tuesday.

Duffy emphasized the urgency of the mission, pointing to a growing geopolitical competition in space. “We’re in a race to the Moon—a race with China,” he said. “To have a sustained presence on the Moon, we need reliable energy. While some key lunar locations can rely on solar power, fission technology is critically important.”

For years, NASA has invested heavily in research on nuclear fission for space use, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into studying how to power extraterrestrial missions.

According to Duffy, that research phase is coming to a close. “We are now going to move beyond studying,” he said. “We are going to be given direction to act. It’s time to deploy our technology and start making this a reality.”

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The planned nuclear reactor is expected to generate about 100 kilowatts of power. To put that into perspective, Duffy explained that this is roughly the same amount of energy a typical 2,000-square-foot home consumes every three and a half days—underscoring that the technology, while advanced, isn’t massive in scale.

He also clarified that the reactor will not be launched while active, ensuring safety throughout the transportation and deployment phases.

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This announcement marks Duffy’s first major policy move since being appointed by President Donald Trump as interim head of NASA in early July. His appointment followed the president’s decision to withdraw his original nominee, tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, just days before a scheduled Senate confirmation vote.

NASA’s lunar base initiative is a significant step in America’s broader efforts to establish long-term infrastructure beyond Earth. With China making swift advancements in its own lunar missions, the pressure is on for the U.S. to reclaim leadership in space exploration. The integration of nuclear technology on the Moon could be a game-changer—not just for powering habitats and equipment, but for enabling future deep space missions, including to Mars.

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