US signs plan to build nuclear reactor on Moon by 2030
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NASA and the US Department of Energy have formally agreed to develop and deploy a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, signing a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to advance the project.
The agreement follows a December 18, 2025, executive order by President Donald Trump titled “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” which directs the two agencies to have a lunar surface reactor ready for launch by the end of the decade.
The reactor will use a fission surface power system designed to provide continuous and reliable electricity for future long-duration lunar missions, regardless of sunlight or extreme temperatures.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the initiative aligns with the administration’s national space policy, which focuses on returning to the Moon, building long-term infrastructure, and preparing for future missions to Mars and beyond. He said achieving these goals would require harnessing nuclear power and closer collaboration between NASA and the Department of Energy.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the project reflects a long tradition of American scientific cooperation, drawing parallels with past efforts such as the Manhattan Project and the Apollo missions. He said the lunar reactor would help enable sustained exploration and scientific activity on the Moon.
The announcement comes amid growing international competition in lunar exploration.
China and Russia announced in May last year that they plan to build an automated power station on the Moon. Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos has said it plans to construct a lunar power plant by 2036 and has signed a contract with the Lavochkin Association to carry out the project.
Roscosmos said the initiative would support the creation of a permanently operating scientific lunar station, though it did not explicitly confirm whether the planned power plant would be nuclear.