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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ED attaches fresh assets in PMLA case against Reliance Group; total attachment over Rs 10K cr
New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate has attached fresh assets worth Rs 1,120 crore as part of its money laundering probe against the companies of Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani, officials said.
Eighteen properties, including the Reliance Centre in Mumbai's Ballard Estate, fixed deposits, bank balance and shareholding in unqouted investments of Reliance Anil Ambani Group have been provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
Another set of seven properties of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, two properties of Reliance Power Ltd, nine properties of Reliance Value Service Private Ltd, fixed deposits in the name of Reliance Value Service Private Ltd, Reliance Venture Asset Management Private Lt, Phi Management Solutions Private Ltd, Adhar Property Consultancy Pvt Ltd, Gamesa Investment Management Private Ltd and investments made in unquoted investment by Reliance Venture Asset Management Private Ltd and Phi Management Solutions Private Ltd have also been attached, they said.
The ED had earlier attached properties worth over Rs 8,997 crore in the bank fraud cases related to Reliance Communications Ltd (RCOM), Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd, and Reliance Home Finance Ltd.
The total attachment in the case against the Reliance Group is now Rs 10,117 crore.
