China Formally Backs Nuclear Reactor On The Moon With Russia

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA ARE IN A RACE TO BUILD A PERMANENT BASE ON THE MOON.  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 BACKED A PLAN TO BUILD THE NUCLEAR REACTOR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RUSSIA.

THE TWO COUNTRIES SAID HE 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 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’S PART OF A BROADER PUSH TO BUILD A LONG-TERM BASE NEAR THE MOON’S SOUTH POLE.

CHINA’S CHANG’E-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, OR LOG ON  TO SAN.COM.