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Daily Mail
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump's new NASA boss wants to build a nuclear reactor on the MOON
New NASA Administrator Sean Duffy's first project will be an attempt to take American energy dominance to the moon. Duffy, who is also Secretary of Transportation and took the job as NASA Administrator after the White House shut out Elon Musk's preferred candidate, will announce plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon this week. The Daily Mail has reached out to NASA and the White House for comment. In 2022, NASA announced plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030 as part of a vision to turn the lunar body into an orbiting power station but Duffy wants an expedited, more definite timeline. The goal is for United States to outpace China in 'winning the second space race,' a source told Politico. Earlier this year, it was revealed China may team up with Russia in an attempt to build their own lunar nuclear reactor. Sure enough, Duffy's directive claims that China or Russia or any American enemy could 'declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States' if they got to the moon first. Duffy's directive commands NASA to get someone to lead the effort in the next 60 days and solicit companies that can help launch ahead of China. A former Fox News and reality TV star, Duffy is also pushing an effort to replace the International Space Station. Duffy, a former Congressman from Wisconsin, oversees the $25 billion space agency. In 2022, the US space agency chose three design concept proposals for a fission power system that could be ready to launch by the end of the decade. It is unclear if Duffy is going from the same plans. The plan is for the 40-kilowatt class fission power system to last at least 10 years in the lunar environment, with the hope that it could one day support a permanent human presence on the moon, as well as support manned missions to Mars and beyond. If NASA is to build a base on the lunar surface, one of the major problems to solve will be how such a proposed settlement would be powered. Solar panels are great for powering rovers, but a human base would need a continuous and reliable source of power. NASA experts are looking into nuclear fission as the answer because the technology has been used extensively on Earth. Relatively small and lightweight compared to other power systems, fission systems are reliable and could enable continuous power regardless of location, available sunlight, and other natural environmental conditions, the US space agency said. If the demonstration of such a system on the moon was successful, it would pave the way for the fueling of longer duration journeys through space. It is hoped that the development of these fission surface power technologies will also help NASA advance nuclear propulsion systems that rely on reactors to generate power. These could then be used for deep space exploration missions. The goal will also be to beat China and Russia to the same mission. The East Asian country aims to become a major space power and land astronauts on the moon by 2030, and its planned Chang'e-8 mission for 2028 would lay the groundwork for constructing a permanent, manned lunar base. In a presentation in Shanghai, the 2028 mission's Chief Engineer Pei Zhaoyu showed that the lunar base's energy supply could also depend on large-scale solar arrays, and pipelines and cables for heating and electricity built on the moon's surface. Russia's space agency Roscosmos said last year it planned to build a nuclear reactor on the moon's surface with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) by 2035 to power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The inclusion of the nuclear power unit in a Chinese space official's presentation at a conference for officials from the 17 countries and international organisations that make up the ILRS suggests Beijing supports the idea, although it has never formally announced it. 'An important question for the ILRS is power supply, and in this Russia has a natural advantage, when it comes to nuclear power plants, especially sending them into space, it leads the world, it is ahead of the United States,' Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, told Reuters on the sidelines of the conference. After little progress on talks over a space-based reactor in the past, 'I hope this time both countries can send a nuclear reactor to the moon,' Wu said.
Reuters
21 minutes ago
- Reuters
CFTC to allow listed spot crypto trading on registered exchanges
Aug 4 (Reuters) - The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said on Monday it would allow trading of spot crypto asset contracts that are listed on a futures exchange registered under the regulator. The digital assets industry has seen progress under President Donald Trump's administration, as bills like the GENIUS Act and CLARITY Act have provided more regulatory certainty. The commission will enable immediate trading of digital assets at the Federal level in coordination with the Securities and Exchange Commission's "Project Crypto", CFTC acting chairman Caroline Pham said. The CFTC invited, opens new tab stakeholders on how to list the spot crypto asset contracts in a designated market. SEC Chair Paul Atkins outlined several pro-crypto initiatives last week, including directing staff to develop guidelines to determine when a crypto token qualifies as a security, and proposals for various disclosures and exemptions. The two regulators' approach marks a significant victory for the crypto industry, which has long advocated for tailored regulations. "Together, we will make America the crypto capital of the world," Pham said.
Reuters
21 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump again threatens India with harsh tariffs over Russian oil purchases
WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump again threatened on Monday to raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases, while New Delhi called his attack "unjustified" and vowed to protect its economic interests, deepening the trade rift between the two countries. In a social media post, Trump wrote, "India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine." "Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA," he added. A spokesperson for India's foreign ministry said in response that India will "take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security." "The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable," the spokesperson added. Trump has said that from Friday he will impose new sanctions on Russia as well as on countries that buy its energy exports, unless Moscow takes steps to end its 3-1/2 year war with Ukraine, opens new tab. Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no public sign of altering his stance despite the deadline. Over the weekend, two Indian government sources told Reuters that India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite Trump's threats. India has faced pressure from the West to distance itself from Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. New Delhi has resisted, citing its longstanding ties with Russia and economic needs, opens new tab. Trump had already in July announced 25% tariffs on Indian imports, and U.S. officials have cited a range of geopolitical issues standing in the way of a U.S.-India trade accord. Trump has also cast the wider BRICS group of developing nations as hostile to the United States. Those nations have dismissed his accusation, saying the group promotes the interests of its members and of developing countries at large. India is the biggest buyer of seaborne crude from Russia, importing about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil from January to June this year, up 1% from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by trade sources. India began importing oil from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, the Indian spokesperson said, calling it a "necessity compelled by global market situation." The spokesperson also noted the West's, particularly the European Union's, bilateral trade with Russia: "It is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia." Despite the Indian government's defiance, the country's main refiners paused buying Russian oil last week, sources told Reuters. Discounts to other suppliers narrowed after Trump threatened hefty tariffs on countries that make any such purchases. Indian government officials denied any policy change. The country's largest refiner, Indian Oil Corp, has bought 7 million barrels of crude from the United States, Canada and the Middle East, four trade sources told Reuters on Monday. India also has been frustrated by Trump repeatedly taking credit for an India-Pakistan ceasefire that he announced on social media in May, which halted days of hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbors. The unpredictability of the Trump administration creates a challenge for Delhi, said Richard Rossow, head of the India program at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. "India's continued energy and defense purchases from Russia presents a larger challenge, where India does not feel it can predict how the Trump administration will approach Russia from month to month," he said.
