NASA to build nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030: Politico

One small step for man, one giant, glowing leap for bureaucracy. Politico reported that NASA intends to build a nuclear reactor on the moon and will announce the plans this week.

The idea behind the plan is to beat China and Russia to the next big space grab, the report said. An anonymous source who spoke to Politico said the plan is “about winning the second space race.”

The reactor directive

According to Politico, the directive orders NASA to solicit industry proposals for a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor that will be launched by 2030. Why 2030? The directive states that’s when China anticipates landing its first astronaut on the moon.

Should the U.S. build the reactor, it could power future moon bases and missions to Mars.

In addition to the reactor directive, another directive was issued to expedite the replacement of the International Space Station.

The two moves could help accelerate efforts to reach the moon and Mars, a goal that China is also pursuing.

NASA budget cuts

Critics called the plans ambitious, especially with NASA’s upcoming budget cuts. President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” allocates $85 million of NASA’s budget toward relocating the space shuttle Discovery.

Trump hopes to move the shuttle from a Smithsonian museum in Virginia to Space Center Houston. The legislation calls for $5 million to move the shuttle and $80 million to build a new facility to house and display the shuttle.

NASA’s interim leader

The proposals come as NASA is under a new interim leader, Transportation Secretary and former Fox News host Sean Duffy.

Trump named Duffy as interim administrator in July after withdrawing the nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman.

After naming Duffy, Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time.”