US to Fast-Track Plan for Nuclear Reactor on the Moon: Report

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Sonam Sheth is an Evening Politics Editor at Newsweek who is based in New York. She joined Newsweek in 2024 and previously worked at Business Insider and CNBC. Sonam has extensive experience covering national security, foreign policy, elections, and stories at the intersection of law and politics. Her work has been cited in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, and others. She has also frequently appeared on national television and radio, including MSNBC, NBC News, BBC World News, BBC News radio, and more. You can get in touch with Sonam at s.sheth@newsweek.com. Languages: English, Hindi, and French.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will unveil plans this week to accelerate the creation of a nuclear reactor on the moon, marking his first significant action as the interim head of NASA, Politico reported.

NASA has long explored the idea, but documents obtained by the news outlet show the proposal from Duffy would set a more concrete timeline as the agency braces for steep budget cuts.

Newsweek reached out to NASA for comment via email on Monday.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump has prioritized U.S. dominance in what one senior NASA official described to Politico as “the second space race.”

Trump established the Space Force during his first administration in 2019 to protect American and allied interests in space. It was the first new branch of the armed services since 1947.

A nuclear reactor on the moon is considered vital for supporting sustained human operations as well as powering bases and research outposts regardless of the solar cycle of environmental extremes.

What To Know

Duffy’s new directive will respond to shifting resource priorities following significant NASA budget cuts and cancellation of a Pentagon program for nuclear-powered rockets, Politico reported.

Duffy stepped in as interim NASA administrator after Trump abruptly withdrew the nomination of Jared Isaacman to lead the agency because of Isaacman’s alliance with billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk—who has had a nasty falling out with the president since departing the administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.

In his dual capacity, Duffy now oversees both NASA and the Department of Transportation, giving him broad influence over American space policy and resources.

Documents seen by Politico found that Duffy’s directive about a nuclear reactor instructs NASA to get proposals for a 100-kilowatt lunar nuclear reactor, superseding previous efforts focused on a less powerful 40-kilowatt system. Duffy’s reported command will set a 60-day timeline for NASA to select project leadership and industry partners for the reactor.

Duffy’s planned announcement will occur against the backdrop of NASA facing steep cuts to its funding, which agency workers called “rapid and wasteful” in a scathing letter sent last month. Titled the Voyager Declaration and addressed to Duffy, the letter has 156 anonymous signatories and 131 public signatures, including more than 50 current agency employees.

What People Are Saying

The Voyager Declaration said in part: “Major programmatic shifts at NASA must be implemented strategically so that risks are managed carefully. Instead, the last six months have seen rapid and wasteful changes which have undermined our mission and caused catastrophic impacts on NASA’s workforce.”

NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens rebuked the letter’s claims, saying in a statement: “NASA will never compromise on safety. Any reduction — including our current voluntary reduction — will be designed to protect safety-critical roles.”

She added: “Despite the claims posted on a website that advances radical, discriminatory DEI principles, the reality is that President Trump has proposed billions of dollars for NASA science, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to communicating our scientific achievements. To ensure NASA delivers for the American people, we are continually evaluating mission lifecycles, not on sustaining outdated or lower-priority missions.”

What Happens Next

Duffy will reportedly unveil his plans for the expedited lunar nuclear reactor this week.

Update 8/4/25, 8:46 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and context.

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