New lunar race begins: US, China plan nuclear reactors on Moon
A new phase in the global space race is taking shape, with both the United States and China announcing plans to build nuclear reactors on the Moon to support long-term human presence.
According to an article in The Conversation by Michelle L.D. Hanlon, professor of air and space law at the University of Mississippi, China has revealed plans to construct a lunar nuclear reactor by 2035 as part of its international research station project. U.S. officials, meanwhile, have indicated that a similar reactor could be operational by 2030.
NASA, along with the U.S. Department of Energy, has been working on small nuclear power systems for several years. These systems are designed to provide uninterrupted energy for lunar habitats, research stations, and potential mining operations. The move is seen as a strategic effort to establish a stronger presence on the Moon rather than a race to develop space-based weapons.
Historically, both the United States and the Soviet Union relied on radioisotope generators to power satellites, deep-space probes, and Mars rovers. This was done under the framework of United Nations guidelines adopted in 1992 to regulate the safe use of nuclear power in outer space.
International law does not prevent countries from deploying nuclear reactors on the Moon, provided they are used safely. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, signed by major spacefaring nations, requires that space activities be conducted with respect for the interests of all countries. A reactor on the Moon, however, could influence how and where other nations operate nearby.
Experts say that locating reactors in resource-rich areas such as ice-filled craters at the lunar South Pole could give countries a significant advantage in securing water and other essential resources for long-term missions. Nuclear systems would also provide a reliable power supply in areas that receive little or no sunlight, where solar energy is insufficient. This would be critical for running habitats, life-support systems, and scientific equipment.
Officials from both countries have stressed that deploying nuclear reactors on the Moon is not a territorial claim, but rather the creation of essential infrastructure to support research and sustained human presence.
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Four held in Kalaburagi for brutal murder of man
Kalaburagi: Four men have been arrested in Kalaburagi on charge of hacking a man with lethal weapons and pelting stones at him under the limits of Station Bazaar Police Station recently.
According to police sources, Anand Jalak Shinde (34), Ashitosh Jalak Shinde (30), Imran Mehboob Sheikh (28) and Sohaib Anwar Qureshi have been arrested. The men are accused of the brutal murder of Syed Mehboob, a resident of Station Bazaar Upper Line Hamalawadi in the city.
An FIR was filed by the Station Bazaar Police Station based on a complaint given by Syed Ismail, father of the deceased Syed Mehboob.
Following quick probe, the police team successfully arrested the suspects within 24 hours. The arrested men were produced in court and have been sent to judicial custody.
The City Police Commissionerate has appreciated in an official release the police team’s quick solving of the murder case and arrest of the four men accused of murdering Syed Mehboob.
