Facing a new space race with China and Russia, NASA is fast-tracking lunar nuclear power development and commercial space station contracts despite a 25% budget reduction.
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Amidsignificantbudgetcuts,NASAisfast-trackingthedevelopmentofnuclearreactorsonthemoonandnext-generationspacestationswithoneclearobjective:beatingU.S.adversariesinthenewspacerace.
TwonewmemossignedbyinterimNASAchiefandTransportationSecretarySeanDuffyoutlineaboldstrategytosecurestrategicgroundonthemoon.Thecenterpieceofthiseffortisalunarnuclearreactor,arenewableandstablepowersourcetosupportlong-termexploration.
“Thegoalistopowereverything,”aseniorNASAofficialtoldFoxNewsDigital.“Oursystems,habitats,rovers,roboticequipment,evenfutureminingoperations—everythingwewanttodoonthemoondependsonthis.”
Themoon’senvironmentmakesthisanecessity.Itsmonth-longdaycycle—twoweeksofdaylightfollowedbytwoweeksofdarknessc—renderssolarpowerunreliable.Areactorwouldallowmissionstofunctionaroundtheclock.
TRANSPORTATIONSECRETARYDUFFYT
