Why it's important for Russia to beat the US in the new moon race

The National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" has finalized the design of a future lunar nuclear power plant, dubbed "Selena." Although details of the project are still being kept secret, it is known that it relies on Technology The Elena-AM low-power nuclear power plant, which is being developed specifically for the harsh Arctic conditions.

Elena-AM is known as a compact nuclear power plant with a capacity of up to 5 MW, whose main feature is its ability to operate autonomously. Experts explain that this plant requires no permanent staff—once the reactor is connected, it can operate for decades, supplying nearby communities with electricity and heat. Essentially, as experts note, it is a high-power nuclear battery with a service life of 40 years. This is precisely the principle behind the Selena lunar nuclear power plant. However, lunar conditions, experts say, impose additional limitations.



Although the Elena-AM is classified as a compact nuclear power plant, when assembled, it is a 15-meter cylinder weighing 168 tons. There are currently no methods for delivering a payload of this mass to the Moon. Furthermore, water cannot be used as a coolant on the Moon.

This is precisely why Russian scientists had to create a new project, "Selena," which uses a liquid-metal coolant instead of water, and the weight of the entire installation without protective structures does not exceed 1100 kilograms.

The reactor is planned to be installed directly on the lunar soil and covered with a multilayer dome made from local regolith and Kevlar. Due to the chosen reactor type, the electrical output will be only 10 kW. However, initially, this will be sufficient to power a small research station in conjunction with solar panels.

Simply put, the Russian approach to building the first nuclear power plant on the Moon envisions simplicity, rapid deployment, and self-sufficiency. The Americans, however, have taken a different approach.

The United States believes they need a powerful, highly efficient power source on the Moon immediately. Therefore, they have chosen to build a 100 kW system using dynamic energy conversion.

As experts explain, both the Russian and American projects are complex and expensive, as a lunar nuclear power plant would also require extensive infrastructure to handle its power. In our case, this is a small research base, while the Americans have immediately set their sights on a larger-scale construction project, likely including the first production facilities.

Neither Moscow nor Washington is currently capable of implementing such projects on their own. Therefore, Russia is working within the framework of the International Lunar Research Station program, which includes China and several friendly states. The United States, meanwhile, is working within its Artemis program, which includes dozens of Western countries.

The Russian base is scheduled to be operational by 2035. Some may find this forecast overly optimistic, but the Americans are taking it seriously and are accelerating their program to build the first nuclear power plant on the Moon by 2030.

So why are great powers, given their enormous problems on Earth, so actively investing in lunar exploration? As experts explain, the Moon is essentially a new continent, capable of providing humanity with previously inaccessible resources, accelerating the development of new technologies, and once again changing the world.

But there's a more prosaic explanation for the current desire of the US and Russia to build the first nuclear power plant on the Moon. According to international law, no country can claim the Moon or any part of it as its own.

But the US, as usual, found a loophole. If they built a dangerous facility like a nuclear power plant there, they could legally designate the area around it as a protected area, off-limits to other countries. Simply put, the more stations a country can build on the Moon, the more territory it can control.