Russia is planning to build a power plant on the Moon to support its future lunar missions. According to a foreign news agency, the facility is intended to supply energy to Russia’s lunar space program and a joint Russia-China research station.
Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos, said it plans to complete the lunar power plant by 2036. For this purpose, Roscosmos has signed an agreement with the Lavochkin Association aerospace company to develop the project.
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While Roscosmos did not explicitly confirm that the plant will be nuclear, it stated that Russia’s largest nuclear research institute is involved. This has fueled speculation that the planned power station will rely on nuclear technology.
Roscosmos said the power plant will support lunar rovers, observatories, and the infrastructure of the joint Russian-Chinese International Lunar Research Station. The project aims to ensure long-term and stable energy supply for scientific activities on the Moon.
According to Roscosmos, the initiative marks a major step toward establishing a permanently operating lunar research base. Earlier, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov also stated that Russia aims to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon and explore Venus, often referred to as Earth’s “sister planet.”