India and China are set to collaborate with Russia on a pioneering lunar project to establish a nuclear power plant on the moon. Led by Russia’s Rosatom, this project aims to generate up to half a megawatt of energy to support a lunar base. Both India and China have expressed strong interest in joining this initiative, aligning with India’s long-term plans to establish a manned mission and base on the moon by 2040. The lunar power plant is expected to operate autonomously, with the potential for commissioning between 2035 and 2045.
Read more at the Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/nuclear-power-plant-on-moon-india-may-join-china-russia-in-this-mission/articleshow/113173061.cms
I am following with keen interest the developments on nuclear microreactor technology and this seems to be an area of greater advancement for materials science and energy engineering for the next few years. Unfortunately, it does seem like that the space exploration is falling into a new form of “astrogeopolitics”.
I only hope mankind can prosper on Earth and in space with friendship and peace!
Materials at Extremes 