The United States is accelerating its efforts to place nuclear power reactors on the Moon and Mars, with the hope of launching the first system by the end of the decade. A new NASA directive, signed by acting chief Sean Duffy, has called for the appointment of a nuclear power czar to select two commercial proposals within six months, framing the move as a crucial step to outpace a joint Chinese-Russian endeavor.
The July 31 memo is the latest indicator of the agency’s shift under the Trump administration towards prioritizing human space exploration over scientific research. The directive points out that “since March 2024, China and Russia have announced on at least three occasions a joint effort to place a reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s.” It raises the strategic concern that “the first country to do so could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first.”
The use of nuclear energy in space is not a new concept. Since 2000, NASA has invested $200 million in developing small, lightweight fission power systems, although none have yet become flight-ready. Unlike solar power, these fission systems offer the invaluable advantage of operating continuously, a necessity during the weeks-long lunar nights or Martian dust storms.
NASA formally committed to using nuclear power for Mars exploration in December 2024, a decision that was a key step toward human missions to the Red Planet. Industry feedback suggests that long-term human operations will require at least 100 kilowatts of surface power for essential systems like life support and mining.
The plan assumes the use of a “heavy class lander” capable of carrying up to 15 metric tons of mass and targets a “readiness to launch by the first quarter of FY30,” which translates to a late 2029 timeline.
Meanwhile, NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and establish a lasting presence, has faced repeated delays. The timeline for Artemis 3, the first crewed lunar landing, has been pushed back to 2027. This date is widely seen as unrealistic, given that the planned lander, SpaceX’s Starship, is still far from ready. In contrast, China has set its sights on 2030 for its first crewed mission and has a proven track record of meeting its deadlines in recent years.
