Russia & China 'seriously' considering to install nuclear reactor on Moon between 2033-2035: Official

Russia and China are ''seriously'' considering a project to install a nuclear reactor on the Moon in the next decade, the official media here quoted the head of the Russian space corporation as saying.

Yury Borisov, CEO of Roscosmos, Russia's State Space Corporation responsible for space flights, cosmonautics programmes, and aerospace research, said such a mission will have to be automated, with the necessary technological solutions almost ready for it.

"Today, we are seriously considering a project to deliver to the Moon and mount a power reactor there jointly with our Chinese partners somewhere between 2033 and 2035," state-run Tass news agency quoted Borisov as saying at the World Youth Festival being held at the Sirius federal territory on Tuesday.

Earlier in March 2021, Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) signed a memorandum of mutual understanding on behalf of their governments on cooperation in creating the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).

Under the project, China plans to send three missions: Chang'e 6, Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8. The first lunar missions would test key technology to create a roadmap for building a robotic base for experiments and research that could be operated remotely.

The first lunar mission is scheduled for 2026, and the project should be wrapped up in 2028, TASS said.