Likhachev called the capacity of a nuclear power plant for the moon

Alexey Likhachev said that the project of a nuclear power plant with a capacity of up to 10 kW for operation on the moon can be chosen in 2027. According to Rosatom CEO, five installation options are currently being studied. It is planned to be used to power the international lunar station from the mid-2030s.

Among the solutions being studied for nuclear power plants are turbine installations. Experts are also considering the possibility of obtaining electricity directly by converting nuclear energy.

The head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, refers nuclear power plants to the sources necessary for the industrial development of the moon and the space around the Earth. Such sources should be autonomous, compact and powerful. According to him, these properties are important for long-distance flights in the solar system. Rosatom is working on such sources. The Kurchatov Institute and the Russian Academy of Sciences are also engaged in this direction.

Another space project concerns a tractor that can be used for long-distance flights or for lifting large loads. Federal nuclear centers from Sarov and Snezhinsk are connected to the development of the engine for this device. The engine will belong to the megawatt class, and the start of its operation is scheduled for the 2030s.

Speaking about space development, the head of Rosatom recalled the 1940s and 1950s. According to him, then work in the field of nuclear weapons gave impetus to nuclear energy. “Just like now, the latest achievements of the nuclear weapons complex will be in demand for solving promising space tasks,” said Alexey Likhachev.