The acceleration of nuclear development is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to focus NASA on human spaceflight. A reactor would be useful for long-term stays on the moon.

NASA is accelerating its plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon. For several years now, the agency has been working to get a 40-kilowatt fission system ready for launch to the moon by the early 2030s. But interim NASA chief Sean Duffy is about to announce a more ambitious path, via a directive set to be released this week, according to Politico.

NASA is swiftly working to develop a nuclear reactor on the Moon, under a new directive from Acting Administrator Sean Duffy to surpass China and Russia.