Duffy went further than simply saying he wants the United States to beat China to the moon, however. The acting NASA chief said that he wants the U.S. to claim the "best" part of the moon for itself.

Sean Duffy wants to fast-track putting a 100kw nuclear reactor on the moon, according to a directive he sent out Thursday. It would help win the "space race."

President Donald Trump’s transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, has ordered NASA to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, just weeks after being named interim head of the space agency. Duffy’s appointment as NASA’s chief administrator came after Elon Musk’s pick for the post,