Russia and China are putting together joint plans to build a nuclear power plant on the moon. Moscow’s space chief, Yury Borisov, has said that the venture with Beijing means that they are “seriously considering” the installation of a reactor to power a lunar settlement
Borisov, a former deputy prime minister who was appointed to head the Russian space agency in 2022, claimed on Tuesday that the technology needed for a lunar nuclear development is already almost ready. “Today we are seriously considering a project – somewhere at the turn of 2033-2035 – to deliver and install a power unit on the lunar surface together with our Chinese colleagues,” he said at the World Youth Festival near Sochi.
Borisov insisted that Russia has no plans to station nuclear weapons in space, as the United States House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner claimed last month that Russia seeks to deploy a missile interceptor in space. That could possibly include a nuclear warhead.
The U.S. has already accused Russia of using “space weapons” against Ukraine in the war.
U.S. General Claims Russia Is Using “Space Weapons” In Ukraine
“This is a very serious challenge,” the Roscosmos director said. “It should be done in automatic mode, without the presence of humans.”
Borisov added that the only technological hurdle that had not been cleared was a solution for cooling the reactor. “We are working on a space tugboat,” he said. “This huge, cyclopean structure that would be able – thanks to a nuclear reactor and high-powered turbines – to transport large cargoes from one orbit to another, collect space debris, and engage in many other applications.”-RT
The discussions of a lunar reactor come amid what some observers have called a modern-day space race between the United States and its allies on one side and Russia and China on the other.
US Space Command chief General Stephen Whiting has claimed that China is developing its space-based military capabilities at a “breathtaking” pace, while the Chinese Defense Ministry has warned that Washington is leading a dangerous push to militarize outer space.
Any ruling class is no friend of humanity let alone any that wants to put nuclear weapons or plants in space.
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