China and Russia Sign Deal to Build Lunar Nuclear Power Plant by 2036 604i1a Technology News

China and Russia will build a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2036, possibly outpacing NASA's plans. 5k6s6k

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 29 May 2025 21:07 IST

China and Russia Sign Deal to Build Lunar Nuclear Power Plant by 2036

Photo Credit: ESA/Foster + Partners 2p244a

The China-Russia lunar base will be powered by a nuclear reactor, launching by 2036

Highlights

China and Russia to build a lunar nuclear power station by the year 2036
Reactor will China–Russia t lunar base ILRS at the Moon's s
Robotic construction of the lunar plant to occur without human astronau

ment

China and Russia have agreed to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon that will be ready to be built by 2036, in a giant leap for their shared lunar ambitions. The reactor will power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a t Chinese-Russian effort to set up a permanent outpost on the Moon's south pole. The news comes after the United States suffered budgetary setbacks that might scrap the Artemis program's proposed lunar orbital base, which the U.S. had planned to be in 2027.

China–Russia Lunar Base Plan Advances with Robotic Reactor Build as U.S. Moon Program Stalls 3k594

As per a Russian space agency, the power station is intended to run autonomously and long-duration lunar operations. Roscosmos Director General Yury Borisov stated in an earlier TASS interview that the technology enabling automated reactor construction without human presence is nearly ready. The project forms a key part of a broader Chinese-Russian space roap stretching through 2050, eventually ing manned Mars missions.

The ILRS will begin with robotic assembly between 2030 and 2035, involving five super-heavy-lift rocket launches. It will be powered by a mix of solar, radioisotope, and nuclear systems. Wu Yanhua, chief designer of China's deep space program, noted that the base would also integrate a high-speed lunar communication network, pressurised rovers, and orbit-to-surface connections. Additional modules at the Moon's equator and far side will be added later to complete the extended station model.

NASA's LROC Captures ispace RESILIENCE Landing Site Ahead of June 2025 Lunar Touchdown

So far, 17 countries have signed on to the ILRS initiative, including nations such as Venezuela, Pakistan, Egypt, and South Africa. China's Chang'e-8 mission in 2028 is expected to lay the groundwork by landing the country's first astronaut on the lunar surface. The U.S. Artemis III moonshot, meanwhile, remains pushed back until at least 2027 and under increasing pressure as other spacefaring nations ramp up operations and growing ambiguity about an internal funding shortfall.

space exploration to an increasingly united coalition of spacefaring nations.

Comments

For the latest reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.