NASA has set a 2030 deadline to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the moon. It’s an ambitious but potentially achievable goal that could transform space exploration, experts tell WIRED.

Learn about NASA's ambitious plan for a fission surface power system on the Moon by 2030, its geopolitical drivers, and the key challenges it faces in the new space race.

The first moon landing under NASA’s return-to-the-moon program, known as Artemis, is scheduled for 2027, but many experts find that timeline unlikely. Many of the needed components, including the Starship lunar lander under development by SpaceX, are still unproven.