U.S. Accelerates Lunar Nuclear Reactor Development Amid Geopolitical Competition

On July 31, acting NASA Administrator and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a directive calling for the United States to move quickly to build nuclear reactors on the Moon before rival nations, particularly China and Russia, do. The directive, obtained by ABC News, emphasizes the importance of nuclear power—specifically, fission surface power (FSP)—for sustaining lunar operations and supporting U.S. space exploration and national security goals.

Duffy stated during a press conference on Tuesday, "We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy... this vision technology is critically important, and so we've spent hundreds of millions of dollars studying. Can we do it? We are now going to move beyond studying, and we are going. We have given direction to go. Let's start to deploy our technology, to move to actually make this a reality."

The directive requires that a "Fission Surface Power Program Executive" be named within 30 days to implement and oversee the project, reporting directly to the NASA administrator. The document notes that the first country to successfully install a nuclear reactor on the Moon could potentially declare a "keepout zone," which may impact other countries' ability to establish a presence on the lunar surface. Duffy cited recent joint announcements from China and Russia about their intent to place a reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s.

NASA clarified that it will "let these directives speak for themselves" and did not provide additional comment. The exact intended applications for the lunar nuclear reactors were not specified in the directive. Although NASA has used nuclear materials in space previously, it has yet to deploy a fission nuclear reactor beyond Earth.

A second directive issued the same day aims to accelerate the development of replacements for the International Space Station, which is planned for retirement by 2030.

On July 31, 2024, Sean Duffy, the acting NASA Administrator and U.S. Transportation Secretary, issued a directive compelling NASA to move quickly in developing and deploying nuclear reactors, known as fission surface power (FSP), on the Moon. This decision is framed as essential for U.S. space exploration and national security objectives.

Duffy emphasized the urgency at a press conference, stating: “We’re in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy ... But this vision technology is critically important, and so we've spent hundreds of millions of dollars studying. Can we do it? We are now going to move beyond studying, and we are going. We have given direction to go. Let’s start to deploy our technology, to move to actually make this a reality.”

The directive instructs that a "Fission Surface Power Program Executive" be named within 30 days to implement and oversee the lunar nuclear reactor project, reporting directly to the NASA Administrator. While the document does not specify what lunar systems the reactors would power, it makes clear that nuclear energy is preferred due to its ability to provide sustainable, high-powered energy through the Moon’s prolonged periods of darkness.

Duffy referenced international competition, particularly citing that since March 2024, "China and Russia have announced on at least three occasions a joint effort to place a reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s.” He warned, “The first country to do so could potentially declare a keepout zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first.”

A second directive issued the same day calls for acceleration of developments to replace the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for retirement by 2030. Although NASA has not previously used a fission nuclear reactor in space, it has experience using nuclear material for power in previous missions. When asked for comment, NASA stated, “We’ll let these directives speak for themselves.”