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Russia has outlined plans to establish a power plant on the moon by 2036 to support its lunar programme and a joint research station with China. Led by Roscosmos, the project involves key nuclear institutions, indicating the use of nuclear energy, although this has not been formally stated. The facility is expected to power rovers, scientific equipment and station infrastructure. Similar plans are underway in the United States, reflecting intensifying global competition over lunar exploration, long-term scientific presence and access to potential resources.
Russia is preparing plans to establish a power plant on the moon within the next decade to support its lunar programme and a joint research facility with China. The project is intended to provide a stable energy source for long-term scientific activity on the moon as global competition in space exploration intensifies. Advertisement
The plan is being led by Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos, which has indicated that the facility is expected to be in place by 2036. Roscosmos has signed a contract with aerospace firm Lavochkin Association to work on the project. While the agency has not directly stated that the plant will be nuclear, its involvement of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, and the Kurchatov Institute, the country's main nuclear research body, points clearly in that direction.
According to Roscosmos, the power plant will supply electricity for lunar rovers, a scientific observatory and infrastructure linked to the planned Russian-Chinese International Lunar Research Station. The agency said the project marks a shift from isolated missions towards a permanently operating scientific base on the moon, enabling sustained research rather than short-term landings.
Russia's renewed focus on the moon follows setbacks in recent years. In August 2023, the Luna-25 unmanned spacecraft crashed during its landing attempt, highlighting technical challenges faced by the programme. Russia has also seen its earlier dominance in space launches eroded, particularly after private companies in the United States transformed launch technologies and reduced costs.
The head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov, had earlier outlined ambitions to deploy a power plant on the moon and to step up exploration of Venus, signalling a broader push to restore Russia's standing in deep-space exploration. The moon remains strategically important not only for research but also for its influence on Earth's climate and ocean tides, and for its proximity as a staging point for further missions.
The United States is pursuing a similar path. NASA has announced plans to place a nuclear reactor on the moon by the first quarter of fiscal year 2030. Senior US officials have stated that a reliable energy source is critical for sustaining human presence on the moon and for future missions to Mars. They have also acknowledged growing competition with China in lunar exploration.
International treaties prohibit the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, but they do not ban the use of nuclear power systems, provided safety rules are followed. This regulatory gap has allowed major spacefaring nations to consider nuclear energy as a solution to the moon's long lunar nights and harsh conditions.
Beyond science, the moon is increasingly viewed as a potential resource hub. NASA has estimated that large quantities of Helium-3, a rare isotope on Earth, may exist on the lunar surface. Studies have also identified the presence of rare earth elements such as scandium, yttrium and several lanthanides, which are critical for electronics and advanced technologies.
Source Reuters
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