The Donald Trump government is amping up the space race with acting NASA chief, Sean Duffy, expected to announce plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon.
Duffy's internal memo went out on Monday, New York Post reported. Notably, NASA has already explored the possibility of installing an electricity-generating nuclear reactor on the moon's surface, so as to power sustained human presence.
However, the current NASA chief wants to fast-track this project and more than double the output of the reactor.
What does the memo say?
Duffy, in the memo, wrote “To properly advance this critical technology to be able to support a future lunar economy, high power energy generation on Mars, and to strengthen our national security in space, it is imperative the agency move quickly.”
Now, the directive will instruct NASA to seek proposals for a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor that would be ready for launch by 2030.
Duffy added that if a nation like Russia or China were to build a reactor on the moon first, it could ‘declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States.’
Also Read | NASA’s portable nuclear reactor could power missions to Mars
{{/usCountry}}Duffy added that if a nation like Russia or China were to build a reactor on the moon first, it could ‘declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States.’
Also Read | NASA’s portable nuclear reactor could power missions to Mars
{{/usCountry}}As per Duffy's memo, NASA is to appoint a leader for the reactor project and get the input of the private industry within 60 days.
NASA also plans to look for private spaceflight companies capable of getting the reactor to the moon by 2030.
So, how much will all this cost the US government?
Cost of building a nuclear reactor on the moon
While the exact cost of building a nuclear reactor on the moon is not known yet, it would easily be in the billions.
NASA already awarded three $5 million contracts in 2022, as it tasked each commercial partner with developing an initial design that included the reactor; its power conversion, heat rejection, and power management and distribution systems; estimated costs; and a development schedule for the reactor that would be on the moon.
While this was just an initial payout, a look at how much the Rolls Royce project to build a space-suitable reactor costs, would give a better idea of expenses. The Rolls-Royce NSIP will have a total project cost of $11.7 million, as per Interesting Engineering.
However, there are also operating and maintenance costs involved in this as the World Nuclear Association notes, though their observations are about nuclear reactors on earth.
NASA's plan to put a nuclear reactor on the moon is part of the larger Artemis project, which has an estimated cost of around $93 billion, as per LiveScience.