China is exploring the possibility of constructing a nuclear power plant on the Moon to provide energy for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a joint project with Russia.
The plan was revealed in a presentation on Wednesday by Pei Zhaoyu, chief engineer of the Chang’e-8 mission.
The Chang’e-8 mission, scheduled for 2028, is a crucial step in China's ambitious space programme, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and establish a permanent staffed lunar base.
The mission will lay the groundwork for this base, including exploring energy options.
While a lunar nuclear plant is under consideration, Pei Zhaoyu's presentation also outlined alternative power sources.
These include large-scale solar arrays deployed on the lunar surface, along with pipelines and cables to distribute heat and electricity across the base.
The collaborative effort between China and Russia to establish a lunar nuclear reactor by 2035, as announced by Roscosmos in 2024, underscores the commitment to powering the ILRS and enabling long-term lunar exploration.
The inclusion of the nuclear power unit in a Chinese space official’s presentation to officials from the 17 countries and international organisations that make up the ILRS suggests Beijing supports the idea although it has never formally announced it.
China's timeline to build an outpost on the Moon's south pole coincides with NASA's more ambitious and advanced Artemis programme, which aims to put U.S. astronauts back on the lunar surface in December 2025.
Wu Weiren, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Project, said last year that a “basic model” of the ILRS, with the Moon's south pole as its core, would be built by 2035.
The Chang’e lunar probe launches are part of the construction phase for the “basic model” outlined by Wu.
In the future, China will create the “555 Project”, inviting 50 countries, 500 international scientific research institutions, and 5,000 overseas researchers to join the ILRS.
