Space lawyer explains: Because of laws and regulations, it's important to establish a lunar base!

So it can be understood why the United States is so urgent after knowing China's lunar program!

The U.S. "Space News" published an article on August 15th.

The first space race was about flags and footprints.

Now, the new competition is to build a base there, and the key to doing so is power.

In April 2025, China announced a plan to build a nuclear power plant on the moon by 2035.

The U.S. responded in August, with NASA suggesting that the U.S. reactor will be operational on the moon by 2030.

A U.S. space lawyer believes this is not a weapons race, but a strategic infrastructure race.

The legal framework already exists.

The United Nations' 1992 "Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space" is a non-binding resolution.

There are no provisions in international law that prohibit the peaceful use of nuclear energy on the moon.

However, it is important how countries deploy nuclear energy.

Why it is important to act first.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty has been ratified by all major space powers, including the United States, China, and Russia.

Its Article IX requires countries to "fully take into account the corresponding interests of other Contracting Parties."

This means that if a country places a nuclear reactor on the moon, other countries must bypass it, both legally and physically.

Other provisions in the Outer Space Treaty set similar boundaries for behavior, even though they encourage cooperation.

Although territorial claims or sovereignty declarations are explicitly prohibited, access by other Contracting Parties must be negotiated in advance.

In practice, this gives the operator a certain degree of control over who can enter and when they can enter.

Establishing a nuclear reactor establishes a country's presence in a particular area.

This idea is especially important for resource-rich areas, such as the lunar south pole, where ice found in permanently shadowed craters can provide fuel for rockets and support the operation of a lunar base.

These highly coveted areas are scientifically crucial and geopolitically sensitive, as many countries want to build bases or conduct research there.

Building infrastructure in these areas will consolidate a country's ability to access those resources and may exclude other countries from doing so.

China has signed an agreement with Russia to build a nuclear power station on the moon — which could leave the United States far behind.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840469561752779/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.