NASA to Build Nuclear Reactor on the Moon in Bid to Outpace China and Russia

What Happened

NASA is moving quickly to build and deploy a nuclear reactor on the surface of the Moon by 2030. Acting Administrator Sean Duffy has signed a directive that fast-tracks the development of a 100-kilowatt fission power system. It is a key technology for long-term human missions under the Artemis program.

The system is designed to provide reliable, continuous energy in the extreme lunar environment. Solar power is limited by long nights and permanently shadowed regions. NASA officials say the reactor will enable sustained crewed operations, scientific research, and eventual industrial activity on the Moon.

While a nuclear reactor on the Moon would be both an engineering challenge and marvel, it's also a geopolitical race. China and Russia are jointly developing their own lunar base plans. These include proposals for energy infrastructure. Duffy’s memo specifically warns that if another country establishes a reactor first, it may claim strategic lunar territory. That could happen by declaring de facto 'keep out zones,' which would restrict U.S. operations in certain regions.

Why It Matters

The United States is locked in a new type of space race, where superiority is measured by infrastructure, not flags and footprints. Whichever nation controls reliable energy on the Moon will shape the rules of future exploration, industry, and defense beyond Earth.

They’re calling it the ‘Freedom Dividend’

Tech titans like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerberg are calling for Universal Basic Income as AI threatens to eliminate millions of jobs.

But there’s a critical question few are asking: Who will pay for it?

Instead of relying on taxpayer funding, Mode Mobile is using attention as currency, already paying out $325M to over 50M users. Deloitte crowned them North America’s fastest-growing software company in 2023 after their revenue soared 32,481%.

And investors have a window to get in early before this becomes the template for post-AI income redistribution.

They’ve secured their Nasdaq ticker $MODE, and their $0.30/share pre-IPO offering may not be open much longer. The offering could close any moment now.*

🚨Round closing — invest at 0.30/share now.

NASA’s reactor could serve as a foundation for autonomous rovers, scientific labs, and permanent lunar habitats. It could also be a model for future reactors on Mars or deep space outposts. Without it, missions would be limited to short stays or tethered to unreliable solar sources.

Strategically speaking, it is about more than exploration. Supposing that China and Russia can establish a territorial presence first that is backed by nuclear power, they could also dictate access to key lunar regions like the south pole. That region holds potential water ice deposits. It could severely limit U.S. lunar missions and force political concessions in space.

How It Affects Readers

While the project is years from launch, its implications are immediate. For one, it shows a serious U.S. investment in space as a domain of national interest, not just science fiction. It also promises a boom in nuclear and aerospace innovation. Defense contractors, energy companies, and private space firms are biting at the chance to win major contracts that come with colossal projects like this.

For taxpayers, it means public funds are being steered toward dual-use technologies with both civilian and military potential. It could create thousands of jobs in high-tech sectors for American workers that feed into space and nuclear development.

As for students and young professionals, it points to a future where engineering, physics, and robotics are not just primarily academic fields. They are fields that are vital to national strategy.

In a time of rising global competition, NASA’s reactor project is a reminder that space is no longer a neutral zone. It is a contested arena where power, quite literally, will define who leads.

* Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur.

The Deloitte rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.

Please read the offering circular and related risks at invest.modemobile.com.