Get ready for lunar light bills. China and Russia signed a deal last week to build a nuclear power plant on the moon by 2036, aiming to power their joint lunar base, the International Lunar Research Station. The reactor, likely Russian-made, will produce half a megawatt of electricity, enough for a small moon settlement. They plan to use robots to build it between 2033 and 2035, which could make it faster than human-led projects.
This move is part of their bigger plan to set up a moon base to rival NASA’s Artemis program, which wants to put people back on the moon by 2026. While NASA is talking about scaling back some plans, China and Russia are pushing hard to lead in space. Some worry this could leave the U.S. behind, but others say it’s too early to tell. The ILRS might also include countries like India, making it a large global effort.
Source: Live Science
