China, Russia consider setting up nuclear power plant on moon
Moscow says to launch further lunar missions and explore the possibility of a joint Russian-China crewed mission
“This is a very serious challenge…it should be done in automatic mode, without the presence of humans,” he said of the possible plan.
Borisov also discussed Russian plans to build a nuclear-powered cargo spaceship. He said all the technical questions concerning the project had been solved, except for finding a solution to cooling the nuclear reactor.
“We are indeed working on a space tugboat. This huge, cyclopean structure would be able, thanks to a nuclear reactor and high-power turbines, to transport large cargoes from one orbit to another, collect space debris, and engage in many other applications,” Borisov said.
Russian officials have previously spoken of ambitious plans to mine on the Moon, but the Russian space program has suffered several setbacks in recent years.
Its first moon mission in 47 years failed last year after Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and crashed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last month dismissed a warning by the United States that Moscow planned to put nuclear weapons in space as false, saying it was a ploy to draw Russia into arms negotiations on the West’s terms.
Source: Reuters
