NASA to Announce Accelerated Lunar Nuclear Reactor Construction, "To Win the Second Space Race"

According to a report by the U.S. "Politico" news website on August 4, U.S. Transportation Secretary and NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy will announce this week that the plan to accelerate the construction of a nuclear reactor on the Moon is being pushed forward. According to a senior NASA official, these actions aim to "win the second space race."

The report added that the nuclear reactor plan instructed NASA to seek industry proposals to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor and send it into space by 2030, which is a key guarantee for American astronauts returning to the Moon. NASA previously funded the development of a 40-kilowatt lunar nuclear reactor, with an original launch planned in the early 30s.

The directive stated that the country that builds the first nuclear reactor could "declare the establishment of a major area that severely restricts U.S. activities," indicating NASA's concern about the joint lunar projects of China and Russia.

The directive also required NASA to appoint a leader to oversee the project and solicit industry opinions within 60 days. NASA is looking for companies capable of launching a nuclear reactor by 2030, "as this is the time point when China plans to send astronauts to the Moon for the first time."

This plan means that even though the Pentagon recently canceled a joint project for a nuclear-powered rocket engine, NASA will continue to participate in the development of nuclear technology.

"Although budget priorities do not focus on nuclear propulsion technology, it is not because the technology has no value," said a NASA official.

Duffy also issued an order to speed up the plan to replace the International Space Station, another goal of NASA. These two measures may help accelerate the United States' efforts to return to the Moon and go to Mars. The report stated that this is also "a goal that China is actively promoting."

The directive regarding the space station aims to replace the aging International Space Station with a commercially operated space station by changing the way NASA awards contracts.

NASA plans to award at least two companies contracts within six months after issuing a request for proposals. U.S. officials hope to deploy the new space station in orbit by 2030, otherwise China will become the only country with a permanent crewed orbital space station.

Several companies are preparing to respond to the demand for the space station project, including Axiom Space, Vast, and Blue Origin. However, U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns over NASA's failure to timely fund the project in recent months.

Regarding the repeated U.S. hype about the so-called "China space threat," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference on May 22 that China has always adhered to the peaceful use of outer space, opposed the arms race in outer space, and opposed the weaponization of outer space. China has no intention of engaging in a "space race" with any country or seeking so-called "space superiority." The U.S. openly defines outer space as a "theater of operations," continuously expands its military forces in outer space, establishes military alliances in outer space, and promotes the militarization of outer space, seriously threatening the common security and development interests of all countries in outer space. China urges the U.S. to stop spreading irresponsible statements and stop expanding military buildup in outer space, and to genuinely maintain the long-term peace and security of outer space.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839608333773831/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.