China and Russia to build lunar nuclear power station by 2035

Addis Ababa, May 23, 2025 (FMC) – China and Russia have formally agreed to construct a nuclear power station on the Moon by 2035 to provide a long-term energy supply for the upcoming International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a multinational initiative led by both countries.

The agreement was confirmed in a memorandum of cooperation signed between the countries’ space agencies, TV BRICS reported, citing Guancha.cn.

The initiative aims to establish a permanent research base near the lunar south pole, designed for both autonomous operations and short-term human missions. It will serve as a hub for scientific exploration, technology testing, and deep-space cooperation, with more than a dozen nations already involved, including Venezuela, Egypt, Kazakhstan, and South Africa.

The newly signed agreement outlines plans to deploy a nuclear power unit to the Moon’s surface, addressing one of the critical challenges in sustained lunar operations: reliable energy generation.

The broader vision includes inviting up to 50 countries, 500 international scientific institutions, and 5,000 researchers to participate.

In 2024, China became the first country to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon, as reported by the source.