New Delhi: Russia plans to place a power plant on the moon in the next decade to supply its lunar space programme and a joint Russian-Chinese research station, as major powers step up efforts to explore Earth’s only natural satellite. Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos, said it intends to build a lunar power plant by 2036 and has signed a contract with the Lavochkin Association aerospace company for the project.
Follow Energy Watch on X
While Roscosmos did not explicitly describe the facility as nuclear, it said participants include Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the Kurchatov Institute, the country’s leading nuclear research body.
Russia has long taken pride in its space legacy, dating back to 1961 when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space. In recent decades, however, the country has fallen behind the United States and, increasingly, China.
Those ambitions suffered a setback in August 2023 when Russia’s unmanned Luna-25 mission crashed into the lunar surface during a landing attempt. At the same time, Elon Musk has transformed global launch capabilities, an area once dominated by Russia.
Roscosmos said the planned power plant would support Russia’s lunar programme, including rovers, an observatory and infrastructure for the joint Russian-Chinese International Lunar Research Station.
“The project is an important step towards the creation of a permanently functioning scientific lunar station and the transition from one-time missions to a long-term lunar exploration programme,” Roscosmos said.
The head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov, said in June that deploying a nuclear power plant on the moon and exploring Venus — often described as Earth’s “sister” planet — were among the corporation’s key objectives.
Russia is not alone in pursuing nuclear power beyond Earth. NASA said in August that it intends to place a nuclear reactor on the moon by the first quarter of fiscal year 2030.
International rules prohibit the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, but they do not ban nuclear energy sources, provided they comply with established regulations.
Follow Energy Watch on LinkedIN
The moon, located about 384,400 km (238,855 miles) from Earth, plays a key role in moderating the planet’s axial wobble, helping to maintain a stable climate, and is responsible for ocean tides.
Some analysts have also pointed to the possibility of a future “lunar gold rush”. NASA has said estimates suggest the moon may contain around one million tonnes of Helium-3, a rare isotope on Earth. Research by Boeing has also indicated the presence of rare earth metals on the moon, including scandium, yttrium and the 15 lanthanides used in smartphones, computers and advanced technologies.