China Unveils Ambitious Plans for Nuclear-Powered Lunar Research Base

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Title: China Unveils Ambitious Plans for Nuclear-Powered Lunar Research Base

 

China has officially announced its intention to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon, a move that will support a permanent research facility being developed in collaboration with Russia. The ambitious project, known as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), is scheduled for completion by 2035 and aims to become a fully operational base for lunar scientific exploration by 2050.

 

 

This significant development was revealed during a briefing in Shanghai, where Chinese scientists presented the most comprehensive details to date to foreign governments and international organizations. The ILRS is envisioned as a permanently staffed base that will enable long-term research and exploration missions on the lunar surface.

 

 

The concept of powering the lunar base with a nuclear plant was first floated in 2023 by Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency. However, it wasn't until now that Beijing officially confirmed its role in developing the nuclear facility. The power generated from the reactor will supplement solar panels and ensure a steady energy supply for research and habitation in the Moon’s harsh and variable environment.

 

 

 

In addition to supporting lunar operations, China has promoted the ILRS as a platform for international cooperation and a potential stepping stone for human exploration of deeper space, including missions to other planets. Countries such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Pakistan, South Africa, and Venezuela have signed on to participate in the initiative.

 

China’s efforts are seen as part of a broader competition with the United States, which is working on its own lunar goals through NASA’s Artemis program. The U.S. plans to land astronauts on the Moon in 2027 and establish a base for scientific research and preparatory missions to Mars, possibly also relying on nuclear technology to power lunar outposts.

 

President Xi Jinping has described China’s quest to become a major space power as the nation’s “eternal dream.” The country has made notable advances in recent years, including the construction of a crewed space station, the landing of a robotic rover on Mars, and becoming the first country to achieve a controlled landing on the far side of the Moon.

 

Chinese scientists are also developing an ambitious astronomical project: a massive radio telescope array on the Moon’s far side. The planned installation would feature 7,200 butterfly-shaped wire antennas designed to detect faint cosmic signals, potentially offering new insights into the early universe.

 

Russia, meanwhile, is developing complementary technologies for the ILRS. One of the standout projects is a nuclear-powered cargo spacecraft, dubbed a “space tugboat,” that could revolutionize orbital logistics. “This huge, cyclopean structure would be able, thanks to a nuclear reactor and high-power turbines, to transport large cargos from one orbit to another, collect space debris and engage in many other applications,” said Yury Borisov, the former head of Roscosmos.

 

With this lunar initiative, China is not only looking to expand its scientific reach but also to assert its presence in the new era of space exploration, signaling that the next great leap may be fueled by international collaboration—and nuclear power.

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-04-25

 

 

[Purdey]

China is really developing space research with Russian help. 

[GammaGlobulin]

Humanity will be doomed once China controls the Moon.

 

The commies destroy whatever they touch, especially any and all parts of the natural world.

 

Soon, our Moon will be completely polluted, just as China is polluted now.

 

It is highly likely that China will cause the moon to become Radioactive.

In the future, China with Russia's help will create another Commie Chernobyl on the Moon.

I just hope that China restricts its construction projects to the Dark Side of the Moon, where it belongs.

 

[NoDisplayName]

27 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I just hope that China restricts its construction projects to the Dark Side of the Moon, where it belongs.

 

But that's where all the "raw moons" are located!

[tandor]

The Greys don't deserve all this exposure.

[FlorC]

Hey , if it keeps them out of Taiwan , go for it.

 

 

[Brn2Trvl]

Fantastic, could not be happier that man is finally, after 50+ years in 1972 when the last man to walk on the moon was Eugene Cernan. America was scheduled to reland there in 2025, but with jerk-off at the American helm, that's unlikely. 

Why did we stop going to the Moon, and set our attention on the ridiculousness of settling a colony on Mars? Good question. I read it was because lack of funding and lack of interest from the Public. But since when has the Public swayed the Government from getting what it wants? 50+ years. Supposedly, no missions were flown since the 1972 Apollo 17 mission. But there were other Apollo missions planned; 18,19, and 20 . All built for and scheduled to take place but obviously never did.

Mystifies me why anyone would think the advantages are greater regarding Mars over the Moon. Was it because of the ridiculously insane question.."Are we alone?" There are 300 million Earthlike planets in our Galaxy alone, so that's not the reason. Another planet to conquer? Stupid, buy maybe. America felt that going to the Moon was most important as a race to walk on the Moon, and they won it. 

But what about the odd and strange things about the Moon?

 The Moon is unusually large compared to the Earth.

 It's the 5th largest planet in the Solar system, but Earth is the smallest planet to have such a large Moon. 

 The Moon's diameter is about 1/4 of that of the Earth making their size ratio much larger than typical planet–moon systems.

Most moons are far smaller in relation to their planets. Our Moon’s orbit is also nearly circular, which is rare.

The Moon perfectly covers the Sun during a total solar eclipse.

The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, but it's also 400 times closer to the Earth—a near-perfect match for eclipses.

This coincidence allows for perfect total eclipses, which is incredibly rare and temporary in cosmic terms.

We only ever see one side of the Moon from Earth.

It’s “tidally locked” to Earth, so the same face always points toward us.

Tidal locking is known, but the Moon's rotational stability is unusually precise. The far side remained completely hidden until space probes photographed it in the 1950s.

The "far side" isn’t always dark—it gets sunlight too—but Earthlings never see it directly.

The Moon has regions with strange magnetic fields, despite not having a global magnetic field.

Some lunar rocks are magnetized, suggesting the Moon once had a dynamo — but scientists aren’t sure how or why it stopped.

The Moon’s core is supposedly too small and cool for a magnetic dynamo effect. So how are some areas still magnetized?

Some Moon rocks are older than the oldest Earth rocks.

Lunar rocks contain isotopes and materials (like pure titanium and uranium-236) not commonly found on Earth or other celestial bodies.

Earth is constantly changing due to erosion and plate tectonics, while the Moon's surface is more stable and ancient.

When Apollo 12 and Apollo 13 deliberately crashed modules onto the Moon, it "rang like a bell" —seismic vibrations lasted much longer than expected.

Seismic experiments from Apollo missions showed that when struck (e.g., by spent lunar modules), the Moon reverberated for hours—“ringing like a bell.”

NASA scientists described it as “ringing like a bell,” sparking Hollow Moon and artificial satellite theories.

There’s no perfect consensus on how the Moon formed.

The Moon is said to have no atmosphere, but it actually has a tenuous exosphere.

This “atmosphere” is so thin it’s nearly a vacuum, but it contains sodium, phosphate, and other trace elements.

The Moon has whitish swirls (like Reiner Gamma) with no elevation or crater changes, but strong magnetic fields.

Their origin is unknown—they may be from comet impacts or interactions with solar wind.

The Moon has tiny colored glass beads in its soil.

These formed during ancient volcanic eruptions, suggesting a more geologically active Moon in the past than once believed.

Large craters on the Moon don’t go as deep as expected based on the size of impacts.

It suggests there may be a very hard or dense layer under the lunar surface—again supporting ideas of an artificial shell or internal structure.

Radiometric dating of Moon rocks suggests ages up to 5.3 billion years—older than Earth (4.5 billion).

For centuries, astronomers have reported strange lights, flashes, and color changes on the Moon's surface. These are sometimes recorded even today, yet no definitive explanation exists for many of them.

Lunar dust "levitates" above the surface at twilight and dawn due to electrostatic forces.

This behavior isn’t fully understood, and caused unexpected problems for astronauts and spacecraft.

In contrast, Mars colonization presents significant challenges, including its distance from Earth, harsh environmental conditions, and the need for advanced life support systems. Focusing on the Moon allows for the testing and refinement of technologies necessary for deep space exploration, serving as a stepping stone for future missions to Mars and beyond.

Overall, the strategic pivot back to the Moon reflects a pragmatic approach to space exploration, balancing ambition with achievable milestones.

 

 

[thesetat]

2 hours ago, Brn2Trvl said:

Fantastic, could not be happier that man is finally, after 50+ years in 1972 when the last man to walk on the moon was Eugene Cernan. America was scheduled to reland there in 2025, but with jerk-off at the American helm, that's unlikely. 

Why did we stop going to the Moon, and set our attention on the ridiculousness of settling a colony on Mars? Good question. I read it was because lack of funding and lack of interest from the Public. But since when has the Public swayed the Government from getting what it wants? 50+ years. Supposedly, no missions were flown since the 1972 Apollo 17 mission. But there were other Apollo missions planned; 18,19, and 20 . All built for and scheduled to take place but obviously never did.

Mystifies me why anyone would think the advantages are greater regarding Mars over the Moon. Was it because of the ridiculously insane question.."Are we alone?" There are 300 million Earthlike planets in our Galaxy alone, so that's not the reason. Another planet to conquer? Stupid, buy maybe. America felt that going to the Moon was most important as a race to walk on the Moon, and they won it. 

But what about the odd and strange things about the Moon?

 The Moon is unusually large compared to the Earth.

 It's the 5th largest planet in the Solar system, but Earth is the smallest planet to have such a large Moon. 

 The Moon's diameter is about 1/4 of that of the Earth making their size ratio much larger than typical planet–moon systems.

Most moons are far smaller in relation to their planets. Our Moon’s orbit is also nearly circular, which is rare.

The Moon perfectly covers the Sun during a total solar eclipse.

The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, but it's also 400 times closer to the Earth—a near-perfect match for eclipses.

This coincidence allows for perfect total eclipses, which is incredibly rare and temporary in cosmic terms.

We only ever see one side of the Moon from Earth.

It’s “tidally locked” to Earth, so the same face always points toward us.

Tidal locking is known, but the Moon's rotational stability is unusually precise. The far side remained completely hidden until space probes photographed it in the 1950s.

The "far side" isn’t always dark—it gets sunlight too—but Earthlings never see it directly.

The Moon has regions with strange magnetic fields, despite not having a global magnetic field.

Some lunar rocks are magnetized, suggesting the Moon once had a dynamo — but scientists aren’t sure how or why it stopped.

The Moon’s core is supposedly too small and cool for a magnetic dynamo effect. So how are some areas still magnetized?

Some Moon rocks are older than the oldest Earth rocks.

Lunar rocks contain isotopes and materials (like pure titanium and uranium-236) not commonly found on Earth or other celestial bodies.

Earth is constantly changing due to erosion and plate tectonics, while the Moon's surface is more stable and ancient.

When Apollo 12 and Apollo 13 deliberately crashed modules onto the Moon, it "rang like a bell" —seismic vibrations lasted much longer than expected.

Seismic experiments from Apollo missions showed that when struck (e.g., by spent lunar modules), the Moon reverberated for hours—“ringing like a bell.”

NASA scientists described it as “ringing like a bell,” sparking Hollow Moon and artificial satellite theories.

There’s no perfect consensus on how the Moon formed.

The Moon is said to have no atmosphere, but it actually has a tenuous exosphere.

This “atmosphere” is so thin it’s nearly a vacuum, but it contains sodium, phosphate, and other trace elements.

The Moon has whitish swirls (like Reiner Gamma) with no elevation or crater changes, but strong magnetic fields.

Their origin is unknown—they may be from comet impacts or interactions with solar wind.

The Moon has tiny colored glass beads in its soil.

These formed during ancient volcanic eruptions, suggesting a more geologically active Moon in the past than once believed.

Large craters on the Moon don’t go as deep as expected based on the size of impacts.

It suggests there may be a very hard or dense layer under the lunar surface—again supporting ideas of an artificial shell or internal structure.

Radiometric dating of Moon rocks suggests ages up to 5.3 billion years—older than Earth (4.5 billion).

For centuries, astronomers have reported strange lights, flashes, and color changes on the Moon's surface. These are sometimes recorded even today, yet no definitive explanation exists for many of them.

Lunar dust "levitates" above the surface at twilight and dawn due to electrostatic forces.

This behavior isn’t fully understood, and caused unexpected problems for astronauts and spacecraft.

In contrast, Mars colonization presents significant challenges, including its distance from Earth, harsh environmental conditions, and the need for advanced life support systems. Focusing on the Moon allows for the testing and refinement of technologies necessary for deep space exploration, serving as a stepping stone for future missions to Mars and beyond.

Overall, the strategic pivot back to the Moon reflects a pragmatic approach to space exploration, balancing ambition with achievable milestones.

 

 

The moon is pitted with strike marks from continuous meteorites and asteroid hits. Imagine how it will be if one of those hits the nuclear reactor China plans to put in place there? The moon affect many things on Earth. They should find another way to power a base there without using something that could destroy the Earths habitat. 

[FlorC]

They already had high-altitude nuclear explosions.

The moon is 300.000 km futher. A nuclear event on the moon has no impact on earth.