Space race intensifies as Russia plans lunar nuclear power plant by 2036

Russia has recently unveiled an ambitious plan aiming to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon within a decade to expedite its lunar space programme.

According to Roscosmos, Russia’s state space station, the ambitious plan will revolve around building a lunar power plant by 2036 under the aegis of Lavochkin Association aerospace company.

The project would power Russia's lunar programme, including rovers and a joint Russian-Chinese lunar research station. The move comes as major global powers are racing to explore the Moon and mark their dominance in a competitive space war.

"The project is an important step towards the creation of a permanently functioning scientific lunar station and the transition from one-time missions to a long-term lunar exploration program," Roscosmos said in a statement.

Dmitry Bakanov, the head of Roscosmos, said in June that besides building a nuclear power plant on the Moon, the company also intends to explore the Earth’s sister planet, Venus.

Initially, Russia was considered the leader in space history as Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to go into space in 1961.

Unfortunately, in recent years, Russia has struggled to keep up with the United States and China. In August 2023, Russia suffered a massive setback when its unmanned Luna-25 mission crashed into the lunar surface during the landing.

This nuclear project marks a major step in Russia’s goal to become a top space power again.