India and China, despite their rivalry, may team up with Russia to build a groundbreaking nuclear power plant on the moon, sparking a surprising collaboration in space exploration.
Key Highlight: 1. India, China, and Russia are exploring a joint effort to build a nuclear power plant on the moon. 2. The plant would support future lunar bases, producing up to half a megawatt of energy. 3. India’s interest aligns with its own plans for a manned lunar mission and base by 2040.
India and China, two longtime rivals, may join forces with Russia to build a nuclear power plant on the moon, according to a report from the EurAsian Times, citing Russia’s news agency Tass. The head of Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear energy company, Alexey Likhachev, highlighted this at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia.
Likhachev mentioned that both India and China are highly interested in this international project. India’s involvement is significant, especially as the country plans a manned moon mission by 2040 and aims to establish a lunar base.
The nuclear power plant, led by Rosatom, is expected to generate up to half a megawatt of energy, enough to power the future lunar base. This project aligns with Russia and China’s ongoing plans to develop the base, with India now potentially joining in.
Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, had earlier stated that work on this lunar reactor is already in progress. The reactor will likely be built autonomously, without human involvement, to provide energy for the proposed lunar base.
In 2021, Russia and China announced their intention to build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), which could be ready in phases between 2035 and 2045.
