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Nuclear energy

The New Space Race: Building on the Moon's Surface Requires Power

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As the first space race focused on planting flags and leaving footprints on the Moon, the new focus has shifted to building infrastructure, with nuclear power plants emerging as a crucial component. China has unveiled plans to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon by 2035, while the United States is aiming to have a U.S. reactor operational on the Moon by 2030. This is not a new idea, as NASA and the Department of Energy have been developing small nuclear power systems for years to power lunar bases, mining operations, and long-term habitats.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 1992 United Nations' Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space set guidelines for safety, transparency, and international consultation, which countries must follow when deploying nuclear power on the Moon.
  • The Outer Space Treaty, ratified by all major spacefaring nations, requires states to act with "due regard to the corresponding interests of all other States Parties," which could influence how countries navigate and interact with each other on the Moon.
  • Building a nuclear reactor on the Moon could shape the norms for expectations, behaviors, and legal interpretations related to lunar presence and influence.
  • The U.N. guidelines outline rigorous safety protocols to mitigate concerns about radiation risks.
  • Solar energy is unreliable and impossible in some lunar regions due to the Moon's lack of atmosphere and 14-day stretches of darkness.
  • Nuclear power could be essential for long-term human activity on the Moon and for missions to Mars.
  • The United States has an opportunity to lead in governance by sharing plans publicly, following Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty, and reaffirming a commitment to peaceful use and international participation.

Statistics:

  • By 2035, China plans to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon.
  • The United States aims to have a U.S. reactor operational on the Moon by 2030.
  • NASA and the Department of Energy have developed small nuclear power systems for years to power lunar bases, mining operations, and long-term habitats.
  • The Moon has little atmosphere and experiences 14-day stretches of darkness.
  • The 1992 United Nations' Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space set guidelines for safety, transparency, and international consultation.
  • The U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space sets guidelines to govern how countries act in outer space.

Sources:

  • The Outer Space Treaty (1967)
  • The United Nations' Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space (1992)
  • NASA plans to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon -- a space lawyer explains why, and what the law has to say (The Conversation, 2025)
  • The Conversation -- USA -- By Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi

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