Russia Wants to Build a Nuclear Power Plant on the Moon: When Are They Planning to Implement Their Ambitious Plans

Russia intends to place a nuclear power plant on the Moon. It is planned to be built to support its lunar program and to power the joint Russian-Chinese research station.

China and Russia aim to explore the Moon as soon as possible. This is stated in a report by Reuters.

It is noted that Russia's ambitions suffered a huge blow in August 2023 when the unmanned mission "Luna-25" crashed into the Moon's surface during a landing attempt. At the same time, Elon Musk achieved success in conquering space.

The intention to build a power plant was announced by "Roscosmos," which wants to construct it by 2036. A corresponding contract for the work has already been signed with one of the companies. At the same time, the report states that among the participants in the project will be the Russian state nuclear corporation "Rosatom" and the Kurchatov Institute, which specializes in nuclear research.

It is expected that the station will be used to power lunar rovers, observatories, and the infrastructure of the joint Russian-Chinese international lunar research station. It is meant to be a step towards creating a full-fledged lunar station.

The head of "Roscosmos," Dmitry Bakhanov, stated back in June that the corporation's goals include placing a nuclear power plant on the Moon and exploring Venus.

The U.S. Plans to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon

Russia is not the only country planning to build a power plant on the Moon. Back in August 2025, NASA announced its intention to place a nuclear reactor on the Moon by the first quarter of 2030.

Moreover, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy openly acknowledged that the initiative to place a nuclear reactor is part of the race with China for lunar exploration.

According to him, the United States is falling behind in the race. However, having a power source is crucial for sustaining life on the Moon, from where people can travel to Mars.

Is It Possible to Build a Nuclear Power Plant on the Moon?

According to Reuters, while international rules prohibit the placement and use of nuclear weapons in space, there is no ban on placing nuclear energy sources. However, certain rules will need to be followed.

Analysts predict that lunar exploration could become a new phase of the "gold rush": according to NASA estimates, there are millions of tons of helium-3 on the surface of the Earth's satellite, an isotope of helium that is rarely found on Earth. Additionally, Boeing's research has discovered rare earth metals on the Moon, which are used in smartphones, computers, and advanced technologies, including scandium, yttrium, and 15 lanthanides.