President Donald Trump has people doing a double-take with the latest news about plans to not only get us back to the Moon, but build a nuclear reactor on the lunar surface and soon.
According to documents obtained by Politico, interim NASA administrator and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will announce expedited plans with a definitive timeline to get a reactor built and take significant steps to improve U.S. efforts in the second space race.
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The report noted that NASA previously revealed plans, but no timeline was put in place.
“It is about winning the second space race,” a NASA senior official, granted anonymity to discuss the documents ahead of their wider release, told the outlet.
It went on:
The reactor directive orders the agency to solicit industry proposals for a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor to launch by 2030, a key consideration for astronauts’ return to the lunar surface. NASA previously funded research into a 40-kilowatt reactor for use on the Moon, with plans to have a reactor ready for launch by the early 2030s.
The first country to have a reactor could “declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States,” the directive states, a sign of the agency’s concern about a joint project China and Russia have launched.
The directive also orders NASA to designate a leader for the effort and to get industry input within 60 days. The agency is seeking companies able to launch a reactor by 2030 since that’s around the time China intends to land its first astronaut on the Moon.
The nuclear initiative means that NASA will continue to have a hand in nuclear development even after the Pentagon’s recent cancellation of a joint program on nuclear-powered rocket engines.
A NASA official also said that, “While the budget did not prioritize nuclear propulsion, that wasn’t because nuclear propulsion is seen as a non-worthy technology.”
The report also detailed what it called a second directive from Duffy regarding the International Space Station, replacing the aging, leaky station with commercially run ones. The goal would be to have the new Space Station up by 2030.
It went on to explain that the two directives could significantly increase U.S. plans to reach the Moon and Mars, beating China, which has similar goals.
The report noted how these plans align with President Trump’s goals for “crewed spaceflight,” with a proposed budget that would increase human spaceflight funds for 2026.
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Shortly after Duffy was named interim acting NASA administrator, he posted a message on X that getting back to the Moon is now the goal under the second Trump term.
56 years ago today, AMERICANS were first to set foot on the Moon, proving again that we’re the greatest nation on Earth. It’s time to top that mission. Thanks to President Trump, @NASA is BACK!@NASAArtemis will finish what we started: we’re going back to the Moon &, this time,…
— NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy (@SecDuffyNASA) July 20, 2025
“56 years ago today, AMERICANS were first to set foot on the Moon, proving again that we’re the greatest nation on Earth. It’s time to top that mission. Thanks to President Trump, @NASA is BACK!” Duffy wrote. “@NASAArtemis will finish what we started: we’re going back to the Moon &, this time, we’re STAYING! Then, we’re going to MARS! Stay tuned…”
In a post on Monday on X, Duffy seemed to imply more about the goal.
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
“Every milestone in the Artemis campaign brings us closer to landing Americans back on the Moon and pushing onward to Mars,” the Secretary wrote. “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,” he added.
This is a story that we are sure to learn a lot more about in the coming days. Check back with RedState for updates.
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