Retired astronaut Clayton Anderson told Newsmax Saturday that nuclear power is essential to living and working on the moon, calling it a critical step in the United States’ bid to beat China and Russia in the next space race.
Anderson told "Saturday Agenda" that solar panels alone will not provide enough energy for a permanent lunar base.
Reports indicate China and Russia are working to build a nuclear power station on the moon by 2035, while the U.S. aims to complete one by 2030.
"You know, nuclear power is a key, I think, to living and working on the lunar surface. You simply can't do it all with solar panels. You can do some of it. But I'm really excited to hear this, because I think that we also need nuclear power on Earth," Anderson said.
Anderson, author of "The Ordinary Spaceman," said advancing nuclear technology for space could also benefit energy development on Earth.
"Whatever we can do to create this opportunity and this ability for us to have this power source on the moon I think bodes well for our future and possibly beating Russia and China to the moon and having this capability," he said.
His comments come after Transportation Secretary and interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced on Tuesday that the agency's fast-track plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon. Speaking at a press conference, Duffy said the U.S. is "in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon."
"To have a base on the moon, we need energy," Duffy said.
"Some of the key locations on the moon we're going to get solar power. But this fission technology is critically important, and so we've spent hundreds of millions of dollars studying" it, he said, according to The Hill.
The United States' target to have a functioning lunar nuclear reactor by 2030 would put it five years ahead of China and Russia's joint goal. NASA has indicated that such a system could support continuous human presence on the moon, power life-support systems, and enable scientific research in locations where sunlight is scarce.
Anderson said the push for nuclear power is not just about technology, but about securing America's leadership in space.
"It's very important," he said. "I want to win."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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