The Department of Energy (DOE) and NASA have announced plans to develop a lunar surface nuclear reactor by 2030. The effort aligns with President Trump’s order on American space superiority, which calls for “establishing initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030 to ensure a sustained American presence in space and enable the next steps in Mars exploration.”
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright compared the innovative initiative to the Manhattan Project and the Apollo Mission, declaring that the United States “leads the world to reach new frontiers once thought impossible.”
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman similarly stated that the nation 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,” each of which demands “harnessing nuclear power.”
The agencies expect to deploy a fission surface power system able to produce “safe, efficient, and plentiful electrical power that will be able to operate for years without the need to refuel,” NASA explained. The deployment of a lunar surface reactor will “enable future sustained lunar missions by providing continuous and abundant power, regardless of sunlight or temperature.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said while serving as Interim NASA Administrator that the nuclear power plan is necessary for the goal of sustaining life on the moon. “There’s a certain part of the moon that everyone knows is the best. We have ice there. We have sunlight there. We wanna get there first and claim that for America,” he said during a press conference in August.
