China is exploring the possibility of building a nuclear power facility on the Moon to support its collaborative International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) initiative with Russia, as revealed by a senior Chinese space official during a presentation on Wednesday.
Beijing’s aspirations to establish itself as a leading power in space have progressed consistently, with goals to land astronauts on the lunar surface by 2030 and to create a permanent, crewed lunar base by 2035.
The Chang’e-8 mission, planned for 2028, aims to establish the groundwork for these long-term goals. In a presentation in Shanghai, Pei Zhaoyu, the chief engineer for the 2028 mission, indicated that the energy infrastructure for the ILRS may depend not only on large solar power arrays but also on nuclear energy, along with pipelines and cables intended for heating and electrical distribution across the Moon’s surface.
A nuclear reactor on the Moon would act as the main power source for the ILRS. The mention of the nuclear plant concept in Pei’s presentation at a conference attended by representatives from 17 countries and international organizations involved in the ILRS further indicated China’s support for the initiative, even though no official announcement has been made by Beijing.
“A key consideration for the ILRS is power supply, and in this regard, Russia has a natural advantage,” Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, stated to Reuters during the event.
“In terms of nuclear power plants, particularly in the context of deploying them in space, we are leading globally, ahead of the United States,” Wu added.
As highlighted in Pei’s presentation, the energy requirements of the lunar station are seen as a vital element for maintaining long-term operations, positioning nuclear power as a fundamental aspect of China’s space ambitions.
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