US plans to install a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2035: NASA accelerates project with Trump's support

The United States government, through NASA, plans to install a nuclear reactor on the Moon in the next decade as part of its strategy to ensure a power and operational presence for future space missions. The initiative, promoted by NASA Director Sean Duffy , appointed by Donald Trump, aims to have a reactor of at least 100 kilowatts ready by 2030.

This device would be capable of powering about 80 terrestrial homes and would be intended to provide continuous power to sustained missions to the lunar surface under the Artemis program.

According to a directive leaked to outlets including The Independent and Politico , China and Russia also plan to install their own lunar nuclear reactor by the mid-2030s. This has raised alarm bells in Washington, as the first country to do so could declare a no-go zone , complicating the US presence.

“It’s about winning the second space race,” said a senior NASA official.

NASA is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy and aerospace companies to develop fission surface power (FSP) systems. These systems would be more compact and durable than solar panels and would enable sustained operations on both the Moon and Mars .

The agency expects that within 30 days of issuing the directive, a Surface Fission Energy Program Executive Officer will be appointed, who will have direct reporting authority to the Administrator General.

A call will also be opened to industry to receive technical proposals for the reactor design, with an initial deadline of 60 days.

Donald Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal includes $350 million to accelerate this project and get it to Mars. The amount would increase to $500 million annually starting in 2027. However, the same proposal includes NASA's lowest budget since 1961 , according to The Planetary Society .