Russia And China Building Nuclear Power Plant On The Moon
Russia and China have plans to establish a nuclear power plant on the moon between 2033 and 2035. The two countries hope that one day, the plant will allow the establishment of lunar settlements. The two countries have been in talks for a while now on research and sciences to do with space, including discussing solar panels, but they were found to not provide enough energy, hence the talk of going nuclear.
The Location Is An Issue
One of the biggest challenges of establishing the nuclear power plant is that, for a long while at least, there will be no people on the moon to help keep it running. Having the plant run on its own would be a necessity. In fact, no construction project of this scale has ever been undertaken on the lunar surface.
Downside Of Nuclear
Another issue that the speakers for Russia and China bring up involves the process of cooling the nuclear reactor on the moon. There are a few ideas, including high-power turbines, but no solid answers have been reached as of yet. The terrestrial solution of running water won’t work on the Moon, requiring scientists to think far outside the box for a solution.
An Impossible Ambition
Some people think the idea is a lofty dream. It’s been a while since anyone has been on the moon. In 2023, Russia attempted to travel there again for the first time in 47 years; however, the spaceship ran into issues and ended up crashing. The US had plans to return to the moon as well, with a spacecraft named Peregrine, but it also ran into problems.
China And The Moon
China has never placed a person on the moon. Their goal is to get their first ship and first Chinese astronaut there by 2030. This might be a good goal, but it doesn’t give Russia and China much time to try and reach the moon before they’re trying to set up a nuclear reactor.
In addition to plans to travel to the moon, the two countries also agreed on a few other things, namely the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS). This is a UN-backed policy on the development of weapons.
Russia And China Working Together
China’s statement to the public also mentioned that the talks covered topics such as security in space, biosecurity, and AI technology. Not only have Russia and China agreed on projects to do with the moon, but they’ve also confirmed that they have similar ideas to approach several of the other issues.
Potential For A Space War
Though so far, the goal by Russia and China seems to only put people on the moon, some people worry that it’s just the first step in something more harmful. US Space Command head General Stephen Whiting worries that the two countries are really focusing on setting up a space-based military force at an alarming pace.
On February 29, 2024, The Hill reported that Whiting said in a meeting with the Senate Armed Services Committee that “China is growing its military space and counter space capabilities at breathtaking pace to deny American and allied space capabilities when they so choose.”
Over 50 Years Since Man Has Been On The Moon
Both Russia and China deny such allegations, claiming that they only want to explore the moon and the rest of space further. Unfortunately, some people are still worried.
Either way, the public announcement of their goal likely started a new space race. Despite the fact that no country has sent people to the moon since 1972, this challenge and possible threat will likely cause many other countries to get involved again.
