Within a Decade, Russia Will Have Joint Nuclear Power Plant on the Moon with China

Russia plans to build a power plant on the moon within the next decade to support its lunar ambitions and a joint research base with China, as major world powers intensify efforts to establish a long-term presence on Earth’s only natural satellite.

Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos, said this week it aims to complete construction of the lunar power facility by 2036, according to Reuters. Roscosmos has signed a contract with the Lavochkin Association, a major Russian aerospace company, to carry out the project.

While Roscosmos did not explicitly describe the facility as nuclear, it said the effort involves Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, and the Kurchatov Institute, the country’s leading nuclear research center.

Why It Matters

The announcement comes as Russia seeks to reassert itself as a major space power after a series of setbacks. Once a global leader in space exploration following Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight in 1961, Russia has fallen behind the United States and, increasingly, China in recent decades. Its ambitions suffered a major blow in August 2023 when the unmanned Luna-25 spacecraft crashed while attempting to land on the moon.

What To Know

Roscosmos said the plant would supply energy for Russia’s lunar program, including robotic rovers, a scientific observatory and infrastructure for a joint Russian-Chinese International Lunar Research Station. The agency described the project as a shift from short-term missions toward a permanent scientific presence on the moon.

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov said in June that placing a nuclear power plant on the moon is one of the agency’s strategic goals, along with renewed exploration of Venus, often referred to as Earth’s “sister planet.”

The moon’s distance from Earth — about 384,400 kilometers (238,855 miles) — and its harsh environment make reliable energy generation a central challenge for long-term human or robotic activity. Nuclear power has increasingly been viewed by space agencies as a practical solution, particularly in regions where sunlight is limited or intermittent.

Russia is not alone in pursuing such plans. NASA announced in August that it intends to deploy a nuclear reactor on the moon by the first quarter of fiscal year 2030. U.S. officials have framed the effort as part of a broader strategic competition with China.

International agreements prohibit the placement of nuclear weapons in space but allow the use of nuclear energy sources, provided they comply with established safety and regulatory standards.

Interest in the moon has grown as scientists and governments eye its potential resources. NASA estimates the lunar surface may contain up to a million metric tons of helium-3, a rare isotope on Earth that could be used in future energy technologies. Studies have also identified rare earth elements on the moon, including scandium, yttrium and the lanthanides, which are critical to modern electronics and advanced manufacturing.

What People Are Saying

Roscosmos said in a statement, “The project is an important step toward creating a continuously operating lunar scientific station and transitioning from one-time missions to a long-term exploration program.”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in August, adding that sustained power would also be essential for future human missions to Mars, “We’re in a race to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy.”

What Happens Next

As competition accelerates, analysts say the push for lunar infrastructure could mark the start of a new era of geopolitical and economic rivalry beyond Earth.

Updates: 12/24/25, 1:37 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.