Yuri Borissov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, announced that Russia and China are considering installing a nuclear power plant on the lunar surface by 2035. The initiative, according to Borissov, aims to enable the construction of human settlements on the satellite, which would represent a significant advance in space exploration.
Borisov emphasized that cooperation between the two countries on the lunar program will be strengthened by “Russian expertise in nuclear space energy.” He argued that solar panels would be insufficient to meet the energy needs of future lunar settlements, while nuclear energy proved to be a viable solution.
“Today we are seriously thinking about a project sometime between 2033 and 2035 to deliver and install a power plant on the lunar surface together with our Chinese colleagues,” Borisov said, according to Portal.
The project, described by Borisov as a “very serious challenge,” must be carried out in automatic mode and without human presence due to the “complexity and risks involved.” In addition, the head of Roscosmos mentioned plans to build a nuclearpowered cargo spacecraft that could “carry large payloads between orbits and collect space debris.”
Despite the optimism, Russia's space program has suffered setbacks in recent years, including the failure of the Luna25 mission, which lost control and crashed in 2023. However, Moscow is sticking to its ambitious plans, including further lunar missions and exploring a possible RussianChinese manned mission and even a lunar base.
Meanwhile, China expressed its intention to send the first Chinese astronaut to the moon in February, reinforcing the communist regime's interest in space exploration.
Against this backdrop, the US accused Russia in February of developing a new antisatellite weapon that could threaten satellites of allied countries. According to information from American media, the weapon could be even more dangerous because it could be part of a spacerelated nuclear system.