FROM THE EDITOR
face for the
Game
space race
The winners of the new space race may extend the lead in terrestrial nuclear too, but it may mean far more. For nuclear it seems the sky really is the limit
hile much optimism rightly surrounds the opportunity for terrestrial nuclear development, it is far from the only area of excitement. Nuclear technology is now looking up toward the sky and
the space beyond. The advantages of nuclear power in the form of RTGs have seen the deployment of nuclear energy sources for space vehicles for many decades. Now though, renewed interest in lunar exploration and moves to prepare humanity for moving even further into the solar system are prompting a new look at nuclear power in space but based on much more robust energy needs suitable for permanently manned lunar bases and more. Russia’s nuclear plans for lunar exploration were
recently discussed by the heads of key enterprises and scientific institutes following the contract for the creation of a lunar power plant that was signed between Roscosmos and NPO Lavochkin in late 2025. Under this programme an experimental spacecraft is set to be launched in 2033, followed by an infrastructure mission in 2034 and the final stage will be the delivery and installation of an energy module in 2035. It overlaps with Russia’s Space Atom federal programme in terms of scientific and technical work and involves establishing a small nuclear power plant
on the moon alongside the gradual development of the lunar surface. The small Elena NPP (Selena) is the basis for the reactor design which is being developed by the Kurchatov Institute and Rosatom. The proposed power plant will supply facilities at the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), an international cooperative venture led by Russia and China. This follows a May 2025 memorandum of cooperation Roscosmos and the Chinese National Space Administration. Of course, while Russia and to a lesser extent China
lead in many aspects of the nuclear cycle, western powers are as determined as ever to stamp their mark on the next phase of space exploration and the technologies that underpin it. Notably, in January the US Department of Energy and NASA announced a renewed commitment to the research and development of a nuclear power system for use on the Moon and future missions to Mars, including the development of a 40 kW lunar surface fission reactor by 2030. But nuclear space technology offers far more than a
resurrection of historic rivalries. Like many other kinds of space technology, nuclear technologies developed for space missions may well find positive applications here on earth. The Kurchatov Institute, for example, is currently developing a molybdenum alloy reinforced with titanium carbide ceramics that can withstand over 1,000 degrees Celsius and last for up to 10 years for use in a MW-class nuclear-powered space engine. It’s not a major leap of the imagination to envisage the materials sciences and additive manufacturing technologies advanced during this programme could see benefits for the nuclear sector here on earth. And, unlike terrestrial reactors, any nuclear power system destined for use in space must withstand the harsh vibrations that occur during a launch. It will thus need the structural robustness to protect the coolant, reactor core, and control systems during a launch or landing to successfully operate for the long term in the extreme environments found in space. Again, the development of more robust and inherently safer nuclear technologies can only ever be a positive. The reality is that the new space race means there’s a better tale to be told, something written in the stars. ■
David Appleyard
www.neimagazine.com | February 2026 | 3
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