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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
NASA's nuclear gamble on the moon faces growing skepticism
Fast-tracking a NASA plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon may sound dubious. Experts say that's because it is. 'The whole proposal is cock-eyed and runs against the sound management of a space program that is now being starved of money,' national security analyst, nuclear expert and author Joseph Cirincione told The Independent. Nuclear has been used in space since the 1960s. That's nothing new. The U.S. launched its first test reactor into orbit in 1965, and the former Soviet Union has sent up dozens more. NASA says that a new 100-kilowatt reactor could be used to power a future base at the lunar South Pole, and fuel prospective missions to Mars and beyond. Nuclear would help to fill gaps in solar energy that occur when that side of the moon is in darkness for two weeks. The majority of space experts have said that placing a reactor on the moon is possible, so, why is NASA's current plan 'cock-eyed?' The problem is the proposed timeline. Interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, who also serves as President Donald Trump's Secretary of Transportation, pushed to expedite the project, detailed in a memo this week. Duffy said the administration wanted to have a nuclear reactor ready to launch by 2030. Earlier this year, China and Russia announced a plan to build a nuclear reactor for a lunar base by 2035. 'The first country to do so could potentially declare a 'keep-out' zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first,' Duffy said. NASA first announced in 2021 that it would put a reactor on the moon 'within a decade.' In 2024, NASA then said that their target date for delivery a reactor to the Earth-based launchpad was the early 2030s. But, Cirincione says essentially no progress has been made. 'It was in the last Trump administration that NASA had put out a press release, they had a YouTube video, they had these announcements about how they're going to develop these small, modular nuclear reactors for use on the moon, and it was going to be ready by 2026,' said Cirincione, who is vice-chair of the Center for International Policy, a non-profit that advocates for a peaceful approach to foreign policy. 'Oh, really? So, where is it?' Ultimately, the expert believes a nuclear reactor on the moon could take up to 20 years to become a reality. NASA would need a working launch vehicle, a small and adaptable reactor, and the ability to land on the moon. Right now, the SpaceX Starship is the only vehicle option – but it has exploded during several of its test flights. NASA has been working with Boeing on a Space Launch System - the main competitor to Space X's Starship - but that program would be canceled under the Trump administration's proposed cuts which slash 24 percent from NASA's overall budget. Landing on the moon is no picnic, and attempts by Japanese space companies in 2023 and 2025 ended in crashes. There are also the scientific and technological advances needed for the nuclear reactors. The reactors must be able to withstand harsh conditions on the moon, including temperatures swings from 250 degrees Fahrenheit during the day to minus 400 degrees at night. 'Small modular nuclear reactors, it turns out, are always just around the corner – a corner you never get to turn,' Cirincione said. Many scientists and nuclear energy experts have shared in Cirincione's skepticism. Dr. Kathryn Huff, a former nuclear energy official at the U.S. Department of Energy, and professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wrote in a Bluesky social media post that she's not 'bullish' on 'unrealistic timelines.' 'The 2030 target does not align well with recent budgetary trends…' she explained in a statement, shared by the university. 'Accelerating the FSP program could come at the expense of other critical priorities, including earth science, climate observation and space-based weather forecasting – all core elements of NASA's public-serving mission.' Dr. Alfredo Carpineti, an Italian astrophysicist, wrote in IFLScience this week that the proposal is 'unfeasible.' 'Even if we allow landing the nuclear reactor on December 31, 2030, the timing is really too short for something that must not have any faults if you want to operate it safely,' Carpineti wrote. Others were more optimistic about NASA's accelerated timeline. Sebastian Corbisiero, a senior program manager at Idaho National Laboratory who leads the Energy Department's space reactor program, told The Independent that a nuclear reactor on the moon is 'doable' by 2030. 'Nuclear reactor technology has been around for decades, so its well known,' he said. 'Some key differences with a space reactor is that it needs to fit on a rocket, so there are mass and volume requirements; and that the system needs to operate in vacuum – so components will need to be built to survive that environment.' Dr. Bhavya Lal, a former associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy at NASA, and former aerospace executive Roger Myers, recently argued that it would be possible to have nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030, and it would take $3 billion to do so. 'It's possible, but it will require serious commitment,' Lal told The Independent. But even if plans are speeded up, Lal says there's no need to worry about the prospect of the moon blowing up. It's 'simply not grounded in science,' she said.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
US selects 11 projects for program to fast-track small nuclear test reactors
WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy said on Tuesday it has made an initial selection of 11 projects for a pilot program seeking to develop high-tech test nuclear reactors and get at least three of them to begin operating in less than a year. As artificial intelligence and data centers boost power demand, the U.S. is aiming to develop small nuclear reactors which developers say will be cheaper to build per Megawatt of output than today's large reactors because the parts could be replicated in factories. The department's move comes after President Donald Trump issued executive orders in May seeking to speed permitting of nuclear reactors and reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an independent agency. The orders allow the Energy Department to authorize the test reactors, without the NRC. 'President Trump's Reactor Pilot Program is a call to action,' said James Danly, deputy energy secretary. 'These companies aim to all safely achieve criticality by Independence Day, and DOE will do everything we can to support their efforts.' COMPANIES SELECTED The department selected the following companies: Aalo Atomics., Antares Nuclear, Atomic Alchemy, Deep Fission Inc., Last Energy., Oklo (OKLO.N), opens new tab , Natura Resources LLC, Radiant Energy, Terrestrial Energy, and Valar Atomics. The department said each company will be responsible for all costs associated with designing, manufacturing, constructing, and decommissioning their test reactors. Small modular and so-called "advanced" nuclear reactors have been talked about in the U.S. for years, but the only ones operating are in China and Russia. Hurdles include getting permits for plants that generate electricity for the grid, developing commercial levels of a new fuel some of the reactors plan to use called high-assay low-enriched uranium, and developing factories for the reactors when none of the plants are yet operating. (This story has been corrected to say 11 projects, not companies, in the headline and paragraph 1)
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Russia and Belarus set to practice joint nuclear drills
Russia and its ally Belarus are set to stage nuclear missile drills close to Europe next month, with an estimated 150,000 troops expected to take part. Belarus said Wednesday it will practice deployment of Russia 's nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles during the joint Zapad-2025 ('West-2025') drills close to the EU and NATO 's eastern flank border. The former Soviet republic is a key Russian ally and depends on the large eastern neighbour economically and militarily. It also allowed its territory to be used as a staging post for Moscow 's 2022 offensive in Ukraine. Kyiv , as well as Poland and the Baltic states, have repeatedly sounded alarm over military build-ups in Belarus, where Russia said it would deploy Oreshnik by the end of the year. 'Of course, we will work out the plan for using this type of weaponry together with our Russian colleagues,' Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said when asked if the Zapad drills would include the use of Oreshnik. While the minister confirmed that over 13,000 participants will take part, NATO says the drills could involve as many as 150,000 troops. In late 2024, Russia used the Ukrainian city of Dnipro as a testing ground for its 'experimental' Oreshnik missile without a nuclear warhead. 'We see the situation on our western and northern borders and can't just sit and watch the militarisation and military activity there,' Khrenin was quoted as saying by Belta news agency. Russian state media earlier reported around 13,000 soldiers were originally set to take part in the drills, but the final number of participants was not revealed yet. Meanwhile, two Russian units have reportedly already arrived in Belarus for the war games, while some Belarusian troops are understood to have already moved to Russia for the drills. The Zapad-2025 military drills, due on September 12-16, usually involve tens of thousands of troops in a show of force close to Belarus's western border with EU and NATO members. Around 200,000 troops participated in the 2021 edition of Zapad, staged just months before Moscow's assault of Ukraine. Belarus, Russia's closest ally, has seen its relations with western neighbours and Ukraine deteriorate over the last few years. It comes after Ukrainian and European leaders pursued last-ditch efforts on Wednesday to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump not to strike a Ukraine peace deal with Russia's Vladimir Putin, which they fear could sell out Kyiv's interests. Trump and Putin are due to meet in Alaska on Friday for talks on how to end the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict, the biggest in Europe since World War Two. Trump has said both sides will have to swap territory to end the fighting, which has cost tens of thousands of lives. In a day of intense diplomacy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky flew into Berlin for German-hosted virtual meetings with European leaders and Trump. The Europeans are worried that a land swap could leave Russia with almost a fifth of Ukraine and embolden Putin to expand further west in the future. Since announcing the Alaska summit, Trump has played down expectations for the talks, saying it would be a 'feel-out' meeting as he seeks to end Moscow's war on Ukraine. In a first video conference on Wednesday, Zelensky and his host, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, met the leaders of Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland and the European Union as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss their pitch to Trump and try and shape the outcome of Friday's summit.
