The key facts
- Dmitry Bakanov announced that rockets for delivering the lunar nuclear power plant are ready
- The energy source is being developed with Rosatom under the supervision of the Kurchatov Institute
- A contract with NPO Lavochkin was signed in December 2025; the station is being prepared for 2036
Statement by the Head of Roscosmos
Head of the state corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Bakanov said that in Russia the rockets needed to send the infrastructure of a future nuclear power plant to the Moon are ready. According to him, the issue of manufacturing the energy source itself is being addressed jointly with Rosatom under the scientific supervision of Mikhail Valentinovich Kovalchuk and the Kurchatov Institute. The statement was made in an interview with the Vesti news service.
Plans for the Lunar Station
As Life.ru previously reported, Russia expects to build the first nuclear power plant on the Moon by the middle of the next decade. In December 2025, Roscosmos signed a contract with NPO Lavochkin to create a lunar power station, which is planned to be prepared by 2036. The station is to supply energy for Russian lunar rovers, observatories, and the infrastructure of the International Scientific Lunar Station.
Scientists' Opinion
Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician Stepan Kalmykov explained why small nuclear installations are particularly suitable for lunar exploration: such reactors can operate for a long time without frequent replacement of nuclear fuel. According to him, similar technologies are already used on Earth, and other countries are also considering the possibility of using them beyond the planet.
