Speaking on the sidelines of the 4th Future Technology Forum, Mr. Mikhail Kovalchuk, Chairman of the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, said that Russia has the ability to complete the nuclear power plant on the Moon within the next 5 to 7 years.
According to Mr. Kovalchuk, the operating principles of this system have been proven and tested to be effective. The current task of Russian scientists is to upgrade and transform these systems with the most advanced materials to suit the harsh outer space environment.
This ambitious project is a key cooperation between the Kurchatov Institute, the Rosatom National Atomic Energy Corporation and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Not only stopping at providing energy, these units are also simultaneously developing non-electrode plasma rocket engines. This is a key technology serving new generation spacecraft, supporting missions to conquer the Moon and even Mars in the near future.
Experts believe that the establishment of a nuclear power plant on the Moon is a strategic step to ensure a stable and continuous energy source for human long-term accommodation stations.
Unlike solar energy, which is limited by the long day and night cycle on the Moon, nuclear energy provides greater and more durable power. Russia's confidence shows that they are focusing on core technologies to maintain their superpower status in the field of space exploitation amid increasingly fierce international competition.
Currently, Russia is accelerating research progress to realize its goal of becoming a pioneer nation laying the foundation for extraterrestrial nuclear energy infrastructure. Mr. Kovalchuk emphasized that this is a "linear" and highly feasible task in the medium term, marking a new chapter in the history of Russia's energy and aerospace industries.
