NASA plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. Here’s what that means.

['Chandelis Duster', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] TPR: The Public's Radio 2025-08-08 09:00:00

(Angelos Tzortzinis | AFP via Getty Images)The Trump administration is accelerating plans to place a nuclear reactor on the moon to power a base for humans. NASA Tests New Nuclear Reactor For Future Space Travelers The reactor could keep the lights on during long-duration missions far from Earth. Here is what to know about the administration’s plans, and how using a nuclear reactor as a power source on the moon could work. We’re going to have to have nuclear power.”NASA now wants to launch a nuclear reactor of at least 100 kilowatts electric output, according to the directive. But the urgency to return to the moon with a nuclear reactor in a five-year timeline will be extremely difficult to meet, said Huff.