Russia and China intend to send a nuclear reactor to Moon

Russia and China are exploring the possibility of sending a nuclear power plant to the Moon and deploying it on its surface between 2033 and 2035. The project could be implemented autonomously using robotic technology, as all the necessary technologies already exist, said the head of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov.

"Today, we are seriously considering a project around 2033-2035, where we, together with our Chinese colleagues, will deliver and install a nuclear power plant on the lunar surface," Yuri Borisov said, as reported by TASS. He also added that the mission would need to be carried out autonomously, as all the necessary technologies already exist.

A nuclear reactor, more reliable and powerful compared to solar panels, would be necessary to supply energy to a base on the lunar surface. Both Russia and China have not conducted manned lunar missions yet. China has been present on the Moon since 2013, when the Chang'e-3 mission landed a lander with a rover on its surface. Successive missions, Chang'e-4 and Chang'e-5, further solidified their achievements in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

However, the Russian spacecraft Luna-25 failed to land and crashed on the lunar surface in August of last year.