Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who now also serves as interim NASA Administrator, today unveiled a directive to expedite development of a 100‑kilowatt nuclear reactor on the lunar surface, targeting deployment by 2030, according to Politico.
Framed as the Trump administration’s first major policy shift at NASA under Duffy’s leadership, the initiative is cast as a critical weapon in the intensifying “second space race,” a showdown against China and Russia, who are reportedly pursuing similar lunar infrastructure plans.
“The first country to do so could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first,” Duffy wrote in the memo obtained by The Independent.
Duffy’s memo reportedly directs NASA to dissolve the more modest 40‑kW reactor design from its 2022 Fission Surface Power project and replace it with a more powerful system.
A project executive must be appointed within 30 days, and private-sector proposals are due within 60 days, with plans to award industry contracts before the end of the year.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took to X on Monday to mark a major milestone in America’s renewed space ambitions, declaring the Artemis campaign as the next great chapter in the nation’s legacy of exploration and global leadership.
His remarks come as the nation prepares for Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the Moon in over five decades.
“Every milestone in the Artemis campaign brings us closer to landing Americans back on the Moon and pushing onward to Mars. In about six months, Artemis II astronauts will journey around the Moon for the first time in 53 years. America rallied behind Apollo because it represented the best of us – now it’s Artemis’ turn. They’re not just carrying a flag – they’re carrying the pride, power, and promise of the United States of America.”
Every milestone in the Artemis campaign brings us closer to landing Americans back on the Moon and pushing onward to Mars.
In about six months, Artemis II astronauts will journey around the Moon for the first time in 53 years. America rallied behind Apollo because it… pic.twitter.com/MT8Gv3pNlw
— NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy (@SecDuffyNASA) August 4, 2025
More from far-left Politico reported:
NASA has discussed building a reactor on the lunar surface, but this would set a more definitive timeline — according to documents obtained by POLITICO — and come just as the agency faces a massive budget cut. The move also underscores how Duffy, who faced pushback from lawmakers about handling two jobs, wants to play a role in NASA policymaking.
“It is about winning the second space race,” said a NASA senior official, granted anonymity to discuss the documents ahead of their wider release.
President Donald Trump named Duffy as interim administrator in July after abruptly withdrawing the nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman amid a spat with the nominee’s ally, Elon Musk.
Duffy also offered a directive to more quickly replace the International Space Station, another NASA goal. The two moves could help accelerate U.S. efforts to reach the moon and Mars — a goal that China is also pursuing.
The plans align with the Trump administration’s focus on crewed spaceflight. The White House has proposed a budget that would increase human spaceflight funds for 2026, even as it advocates for major slashes to other programs — including a nearly 50 percent cut for science missions.
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