Russia to Build Nuclear Power Plant on Moon: India & China Keen to Join by 2035

Russia is working on a plan to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon. This power plant is part of a partnership between Russia and China, under which both countries are planning to establish a base on the Moon. The plant will help meet the energy needs of the future Moon base.

India Interested in Joining Russia and China in Moon Nuclear Power Plant Plan

Along with Russia and China, India also wants to participate in the planning of this plant. Russian news agency TASS has provided this information, quoting Alexey Likhachev, head of Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom.

China and India Show Interest in Russia’s Multinational Moon Project

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum, held in the Russian city of Vladivostok, Likhachev mentioned that this project is multinational. Partner countries China and India are also showing interest in this project.

Nuclear Power Plant to Be Established on the Moon by 2035

In March, Yuri Borisov, CEO of Russian space agency Roscosmos, announced plans to establish a joint nuclear power plant on the Moon’s surface by 2033-35. Borisov said that Russia will develop a nuclear-powered rocket to transport the plant to the Moon’s surface. This cargo rocket will be fully automated and will not require human intervention, with humans only focusing on the launch.

Rosatom’s Plan: Small Nuclear Power Plant for 0.5 MW Electricity

Rosatom’s project aims to build a small nuclear power plant on the Moon, generating 0.5 megawatts of electricity. This will help operate the base being constructed on the Moon.

India Aiming to Send Humans to the Moon by 2040

India’s space agency, ISRO, is working on a plan to send humans to the Moon by 2040. According to the Economic Times, if India collaborates with Russia to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon, it will also assist in its Moon mission. Additionally, India aims to establish its own space station by 2035. India is also working on the Gaganyaan mission, its first human spaceflight mission, in which four astronauts will be sent to space.

Gaganyaan Mission to Launch by 2025

The Gaganyaan mission, which is expected to launch by 2025, will be a 3-day mission during which a team of astronauts will be sent to orbit 400 km above Earth. Afterward, the crew module will be safely landed in the sea. If India succeeds in this mission, it will become the fourth country to achieve this, after the U.S., China, and Russia.