Technology & Science
Roscosmos Signs 2025 Contract to Deploy Lunar Nuclear Power Plant by 2036
On 24 Dec 2025 Russia’s Roscosmos formally contracted aerospace firm Lavochkin to deliver a Moon-based power station—explicitly involving Rosatom and Kurchatov Institute—targeting operational status in 2036.
Focusing Facts
- Contract signed 24 Dec 2025 between Roscosmos and Lavochkin Association to build lunar power plant with delivery deadline 2036.
- Project partners named: Rosatom (state nuclear firm) and Kurchatov Institute (lead nuclear R&D centre), signalling a fission-based design despite Roscosmos’ careful wording.
- NASA separately plans a demonstrator fission reactor on the Moon by Q1 FY 2030, underscoring a U.S.–Russia/China technological race.
Context
This announcement echoes the 1957–1969 Cold-War space sprint—when Sputnik (1957) and Apollo 11 (1969) used public deadlines to galvanise budgets—yet it shifts the contest from one-off feats to durable infrastructure, more akin to Britain’s 19th-century telegraph cable network that locked in global influence for decades. The move rides two deeper currents: (1) the revival of compact nuclear systems for off-planet logistics after the abortive U.S. SNAP-10A reactor (1965) and Soviet BES-5 satellites (1967-88); and (2) the fragmentation of space governance into competing blocs (Artemis vs. Sino-Russian ILRS). Whether Russia can overcome post-Soviet budget volatility and its 2023 Luna-25 crash is uncertain, but even a partial success would plant the first extraterrestrial baseload grid, pre-requisite for resource extraction (helium-3, rare earths) and long-duration habitats. On a 100-year horizon, this may prove less about which flag flies and more about who writes the engineering standards for energy beyond Earth—much as maritime law written in the 17th century still shapes trade routes today.
Perspectives
International business and wire-service outlets
e.g., Business Standard, Newsweek, Firstpost, The Times of India — Report Russia’s Moon reactor as a concrete milestone in an escalating space race, framing it chiefly as a factual announcement that puts Moscow back in contention with the US and China. Heavy reliance on Roscosmos and Reuters feeds means technical hurdles and political motivations get minimal scrutiny, so the coverage can amplify Russian messaging and hype the “race” narrative without probing feasibility.
Regional opinion journalism
News.az — Argues the reactor pledge is aspirational signalling meant to project power and permanence, warning that timelines are doubtful and unaddressed governance risks could breed suspicion. Commentator’s geopolitical lens may downplay Russia’s engineering record and accentuate strategic posturing, reflecting Azerbaijan’s wary stance toward Moscow.
Narrative feature press focused on ethics and geopolitics
jowhar Somali News Leader — Presents the lunar-nuclear plan as part of a wider ‘energy frontier,’ spotlighting both the inspirational and alarming dimensions while stressing the need for robust international rules. Story-driven approach uses evocative anecdotes and resource-rush talk that can exaggerate uncertainties and dramatize a ‘quiet power struggle’ for reader engagement.