Russia to Build Nuclear Power Plant on the Moon, Support China's Space Research Station

JAKARTA - Russia plans to build a nuclear power plant (NPP) on the moon in the coming decade.

The Russian state space company, Roscosmos, said in a statement that it plans to build a lunar power plant by 2036 and has signed a contract with the Lavochkin Association aerospace company to make it happen.

Roscosmos said the power plant's purpose is to support Russia's lunar program, including rovers, observatories, and infrastructure of the Russian-Chinese joint International Moon Research Station.

"This project is an important step towards the creation of a permanently functioning lunar scientific station and the transition from one-time missions to long-term lunar exploration programs," Roscosmos said in a statement, Wednesday, December 24, quoted by AFP.

Roscosmos did not explicitly say that the power plant would be nuclear-powered, but they said that participants included Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom and the Kurchatov Institute, Russia's leading nuclear research institute.

Russia plans to supply the needs of the lunar space program and the Russian-Chinese joint space research station, along with the competition of major countries to explore the only natural satellite of the earth.

Ever since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to go into space in 1961, Russia has prided itself on being the leading force in space exploration. However, in recent decades, Russia has fallen behind the United States (US) and is increasingly falling behind China.

Russia's ambitions suffered a major blow in August 2023 when its unmanned Luna-25 mission crashed into the lunar surface while attempting to land, and US tech billionaire Elon Musk has revolutionized the launch of space vehicles - which was once a Russian specialty.

Previously in June 2025, Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov said one of his company's goals was to build a nuclear power plant on the moon and explore Venus, known as Earth's "sister" planet.

The moon, which is 384,400 km (238,855 miles) from Earth, reduces the Earth's wobble on its axis, which ensures a more stable climate. The moon also causes tides in the world's oceans.