New space race: Superpowers look to set up N-reactors on the Moon

By Selam Gebrekidan In late August, Nasa asked contractors to prepare to build a nuclear reactor that could survive a space voyage and run without maintenance near the moon's south pole. That may sound like science fiction, but the agency wants it ready to be launched by December 2030. There is a reason for the rush. Russia aims to have a lunar reactor running by 2036 as part of a secretive partnership with China. Nasa has already sped up its schedule to beat its rivals. The race is for the very future of space exploration. The US and China want to be first to establish a moon base, to search for resources like frozen water and to launch missions deeper into the solar system. Controlling access to the moon's assets is vital to this mission. Both superpowers believe a nuclear reactor is the centrepiece of this ambition.