Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Aug 5: In a bold move to reclaim leadership in the space race, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy—newly appointed as NASA’s interim administrator—will this week unveil an accelerated timeline for constructing a nuclear reactor on the Moon, despite the agency grappling with sharp budget cuts.

According to documents reviewed by POLITICO, Duffy's announcement will outline a roadmap to launch a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor by 2030 to power long-term lunar missions. The initiative marks Duffy’s first major policy direction at NASA, following his controversial dual-role appointment after President Donald Trump withdrew billionaire Jared Isaacman’s nomination in July, reportedly following a spat with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

"This is about winning the second space race," a senior NASA official told POLITICO on condition of anonymity, underscoring US concerns about China and Russia's joint lunar ambitions.

Previously, NASA had backed research on a 40-kilowatt reactor for early-2030s deployment. Duffy’s directive, however, ramps up the urgency, warning that the first nation to establish a reactor could "declare a keep-out zone," thereby jeopardizing US interests on the lunar surface.

NASA is now required to appoint a project lead and solicit industry proposals within 60 days, aiming to position the US ahead of China’s planned 2030 crewed lunar landing.

Alongside the lunar reactor, Duffy is pushing for faster development of commercial replacements for the ageing International Space Station (ISS). NASA aims to award contracts to at least two private firms within six months. Companies like Axiom Space, Blue Origin, and Vast have shown interest in building orbital outposts, but lawmakers remain concerned about delayed funding allocations.

The Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal reflects its strong tilt toward human spaceflight, significantly boosting crewed mission funding while slashing science programme allocations by nearly 50 per cent.

Though the Pentagon recently pulled out of a nuclear-powered rocket engine project, NASA remains invested in space nuclear technologies. "The budget didn’t prioritise nuclear propulsion, but it’s not off the table," said a NASA official.

With these aggressive moves, the US hopes to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive space frontier dominated by rising Chinese ambitions.