Space race: US aims to beat out China and Russia with nuclear reactor on the Moon

NASA’s interim chief Sean Duffy has made deploying a nuclear reactor on the Moon his top priority, framing the effort as a "second space race". Washington hopes to beat Beijing and Moscow to powering a future lunar base with nuclear energy.

Aug 7, 2025 - 00:03
Space race: US aims to beat out China and Russia with nuclear reactor on the Moon
NASA’s interim chief Sean Duffy has made deploying a nuclear reactor on the Moon his top priority, framing the effort as a "second space race". Washington hopes to beat Beijing and Moscow to powering a future lunar base with nuclear energy.