China formally backs nuclear reactor on the moon with Russia

The United States and China are in a race to build a permanent base on the moon

and now China says it wants to put a nuclear reactor on the lunar surface

so it can power all of the equipment needed for space-based operations

Beijing is backing a plan to build the nuclear reactor in partnership with Russia

The two countries say the reactor would power a joint lunar base

called the International Lunar Research Station and could be installed between 2033 and 2035

Russia first floated the idea last year, but China just included it in an official roadmap

presented at an April conference in Shanghai. The blueprint also outlined support systems

like surface pipelines and energy cables and featured input from officials in 17 countries

Engineers plan to deploy the reactor autonomously using robots, alongside solar panels and other infrastructure It part of a broader push to build a long base near the moon south pole China Chang 8 mission now scheduled for 2029 will test

construction and energy systems to support the base. Meanwhile, Russia is working on a nuclear

space tugboat, a massive cargo ship powered by a reactor and high-output turbines. The goal

to haul equipment to the moon, transfer cargo between orbits, and even clean up space junk

This joint project comes as China and Russia look to counter Western-led programs like NASA's Artemis

China's 555 project is also bringing in dozens of countries and research groups to support the mission

Officials say the nuclear plan reflects growing cooperation between Beijing and Moscow

and a shared interest in long-term lunar exploration beyond the Earth's orbit

For more of our unbiased straight fact reporting, download the Straight Arrow News app today