Russia To Build A Nuclear Power Plant On The Moon

India is setting its sights on an exciting new venture: joining Russia’s initiative to build a lunar nuclear power plant.

This interest follows the recent success of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, which proudly made it the first country to achieve a soft landing at the Moon’s south pole.

But that’s not all. India is also planning to establish its first space station, the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS), by 2035. Furthermore, the nation, which signed the Artemis Accords in 2023, has ambitious goals to send humans to the Moon by 2040. So, what do we know about this lunar program and why does it matter?

According to reports from Eurasian Times, the project is being led by Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear energy company. This initiative is part of a larger collaboration with China to create a base on the Moon. The proposed lunar nuclear power plant is designed to generate around half a megawatt of energy, essential for powering this base.

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Rosatom’s chief, Alexey Likhachev, expressed enthusiasm about the project during the Eastern Economic Forum, noting that both Russia and India are eager to participate. He emphasized the importance of involving the international community, highlighting interest from both Chinese and Indian partners as they lay the groundwork for several international space projects.

In May, Roscosmos announced that work on the nuclear power plant has already begun, with plans to have it operational on the Moon by 2036. Interestingly, this plant is expected to be built autonomously, without direct human involvement.

In 2021, Russia and China revealed plans for a joint lunar base known as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), which is set to be developed in phases between 2035 and 2045.

So why is this initiative so significant? Nuclear power is seen as crucial for lunar exploration. With solar power having its limitations—especially during the Moon’s long nights—NASA has been considering nuclear reactors as a reliable energy source for lunar bases. Nuclear reactors could be placed in permanently shadowed areas where resources like water or ice might be found, ensuring a steady power supply even during the Moon’s two-week-long nights.

Experts have voiced concerns about safety, but they believe that transporting nuclear fuel to the Moon can be done safely, with minimal radiation risks even in case of a launch failure. The reactors are designed to automatically shut down if any issues arise.

India is navigating this landscape with caution. Recently, New Delhi sent Shubhanshu Shukla from its Gaganyaan mission to NASA’s Houston facility. Shukla will be participating in the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a collaboration between ISRO and NASA.

With its successful Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023, India became just the fifth nation to achieve a robotic landing on the Moon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has encouraged ISRO to aim for “new and ambitious goals,” including sending astronauts to the Moon by 2040.

Source :Info Brics