President Donald Trump’s NASA chief Sean Duffy has expedited the timeline to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, according to a directive obtained by The Independent. The space agency has already mentioned the benefits of developing fission surface power (FSP) on the moon and Mars.

Transportation Secretary and acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy is expected to announce plans this week to build a nuclear reactor on the moon. Duffy's goal is to win the second space race for the moon before China and Russia establish dominance there.

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.