Russia and China are considering placing a nuclear power plant on the Moon between 2033 and 2035, said Yuri Borisov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos on Tuesday (5), something that, according to him, could allow the construction of lunar settlements.
Borisov, a former deputy defense minister, said the two countries have been working together on a lunar program and that Moscow was able to contribute its experience in “nuclear space energy.”
“Today we are seriously considering a project, sometime between 2033 and 2035, to deliver and install a power unit on the lunar surface together with our Chinese colleagues,” Borisov highlighted.
Solar panels would not be able to provide enough electricity to power future lunar settlements, the chief pointed out, something that nuclear energy would be able to supply.
“This is a very serious challenge… it should be done automatically, without the presence of humans”, he commented on the possible plan.
Nuclear-powered spacecraft
Borisov also spoke of Russian plans to build a nuclear-powered cargo spacecraft. He said all technical issues relating to the project have been resolved, in addition to finding a solution on how to cool the nuclear reactor.
“We are actually working on a space tug. This huge cyclopean structure that would be capable, thanks to a nuclear reactor and high-power turbines, of transporting large payloads from one orbit to another, collecting space debris and engaging in many other applications”, highlighted Borisov.
Russian officials have talked about ambitious plans to one day explore the Moon, but the Russian space program has suffered a series of setbacks in recent years.
Its first lunar mission in 47 years failed last year after the Russian Luna-25 spacecraft lost control and crashed.
Moscow noted that it will launch new lunar missions and then explore the possibility of a joint manned Russia-China mission and even a lunar base.
China said last month it aimed to land the first Chinese astronaut on the moon before 2030.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last month dismissed a U.S. warning that Moscow planned to put nuclear weapons in space as false, saying it was a ploy to draw Russia into arms negotiations on Western terms.
Source: CNN Brasil
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