Russia announced that it intends to place a power plant on the moon by 2036. Its state space corporation, Roscosmos, said that the plan comes through a contract with NPO Lavochkin.
According to a statement on Telegram, the power plant’s purpose is to provide “long-term energy supply to consumers (lunar rovers, observatory) of the Russian Lunar program, as well as infrastructure facilities of the International Scientific Lunar Station (including objects of foreign partners).”
It was further described as an “important step towards establishing a permanently functioning scientific lunar station and moving from one-off missions to a long-term lunar exploration program.”
The announcement comes days after President Trump signed an executive order to ensure American space superiority. “Superiority in space is a measure of national vision and willpower, and the technologies Americans develop to achieve it contribute substantially to the Nation’s strength, security, and prosperity,” the order says. “The United States must therefore pursue a space policy that will extend the reach of human discovery, secure the Nation’s vital economic and security interests, unleash commercial development, and lay the foundation for a new space age.”
The order details bringing Americans back to the moon by 2028, establishing a permanent lunar outpost by 2030, and developing next-gen missile technology.
Then-acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy told Fox Business in September that the United States intends to “stay” on the moon during a discussion regarding the program’s manned Artemis launches. “And this time, when we go back to the moon, we’re going to stay, we’re going to set up a base,” Duffy explained, noting the “knowledge” gleaned from the trip will “bring us, I think, to Mars as well.”
