Sean Duffy, serving as interim NASA administrator, reportedly plans to direct the agency to develop a nuclear reactor for lunar deployment within six years

The acceleration of nuclear development is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to focus NASA on human spaceflight. A reactor would be useful for long-term stays on the moon.

Framed as a national security and space leadership issue, the move signals growing urgency in Washington to counter China and Russia's joint lunar ambitions - including fears of "keep-out zones" that could limit US access to resource-rich regions of the Moon.