NASA has set a 2030 deadline to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the moon. It’s an ambitious but potentially achievable goal that could transform space exploration, experts tell WIRED.

Placing an atomic energy source on the lunar surface is “not science fiction,” experts say, but does pose technical challenges.

In a sharp pivot toward faster implementation, NASA is now planning to install a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, as confirmed by acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy during a press conference this week.