NASA Plans to Build Lunar Nuclear Reactor by 2030 to Support International Research Station.

NASA plans to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, responding to China's plan to build a reactor by 2035. The reactor will power lunar bases, mining operations, and long-term habitats. This is not a new idea, as the US and Soviet Union have used radioisotope generators since the 1960s. The UN's 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space govern the use of nuclear power in space. The first country to succeed could shape norms and expectations for lunar presence and influence.