Placing an atomic energy source on the lunar surface is “not science fiction,” experts say, but does pose technical challenges.

NASA has set a 2030 deadline to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the moon. It’s an ambitious but potentially achievable goal that could transform space exploration, experts tell WIRED.

The Trump administration wants a nuclear reactor on the moon by the end of the decade in a bid to beat Russia and China to colonization.