Russian space agency Roscosmos and its Chinese counterpart the China National Space Administration (CNSA) are jointly exploring the deployment of a nuclear reactor on the surface of the Moon by 2035, Russian state-owned news agency TASS has reported.
The joint project aims to automate the mission with technology that is nearing readiness.
Addressing the World Youth Festival in Sirius, Russia, Roscosmos CEO Yury Borisov announced: “Today, we are seriously considering a project to deliver to the Moon and mount a power reactor there jointly with our Chinese partners somewhere between 2033 and 2035.”
Borisov also noted that such a mission needs to be automated, with the necessary technological solutions almost ready.
Russia is also planning to build a nuclear-powered cargo spaceship. All technical questions related to the project, such as cooling the nuclear reactor, are being addressed, Reuters noted.