Russia and China are working on a program to build a nuclear power plant on the moon. Yuri Borisov, who leads Russia’s Roscosmos space group, says they are “seriously considering” installing a nuclear reactor “jointly with our Chinese partners” sometime between 2033 and 2035 and likely “without the presence of humans.” In response, the U.S. has urged a “rigorous” safety evaluation of the project.

Nuclear power on the moon has previously been discussed by the Department of Energy and NASA. In 2022, they selected three design concept proposals for a fission surface power system design that could be ready to launch by the end of the decade.