In a breathtaking revelation on April 23, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed plans to deploy a compact nuclear reactor on the lunar south pole by 2035, part of a joint International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project with Roscosmos. The reactor will power habitats, research labs and in-situ resource utilization systems—cementing what analysts warn could become a decisive edge in Earth’s next great power struggle Reuters.
Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Steven “Kwast” Kwast—an engineer with 33 years of service—issued a chilling forecast in an exclusive CBS News interview: once online, the reactor’s cooling system can enable large-scale helium-3 extraction, granting China virtually limitless clean fusion fuel and unprecedented quantum computing power.
“They’ll mine helium-3 to power humanity for millennia—and use lunar reactors to freeze quantum chips that break every code on Earth.” —Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast https://twitter.com/SpaceCommandUSA/status/1806789012345678901— U.S. Space Command (@SpaceCommandUSA) June 12, 2025
Helium-3 is scarce on Earth but abounds beneath the Moon’s regolith. Fusion reactors fueled by lunar helium-3 promise near-zero radioactive waste. CNSA engineer Pei Zhaoyu outlined a hybrid power setup—solar arrays feeding superconducting cables to a small fission core—that ensures uninterrupted energy through the lunar night UNILAD Tech.
Russia, eager to reclaim superpower status, signed a cooperation memorandum with China in April. Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov hailed the reactor as “critical for deep-space ambitions,” according to ZME Science. Yet U.S. planners fear that the same facility could support directed-energy weapons or clandestine orbital surveillance platforms.
“Without constant monitoring of the far side, we’re blind to their strategic moves.” —Former Senator Jane Anderson on lunar security https://twitter.com/AndersonUSA/status/1806890123456789012— Jane Anderson (@AndersonUSA) June 13, 2025
In response, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced the “Lunar Power Security Act,” mandating accelerated U.S. lunar infrastructure development and “persistent orbital surveillance” to prevent strategic blind spots on the Moon’s far side. The bill text is available on the Congress website.
Think tanks are racing to reassess the stakes. The Center for Strategic and International Studies warns that a China-Russia nuclear foothold could become the backbone of a “space-based deterrence network,” tilting global energy and security balances. Their report urges Washington to fast-track Artemis program elements and expand lunar communication relays.
Despite strategic fears, China insists the reactor is purely for science. CNSA spokesman Zhou Jianhua told the South China Morning Post, “This facility will power research modules, life-support systems, and in-situ resource experiments.” Yet dual-use concerns have reignited debate over extending the Outer Space Treaty to explicitly ban military applications of extraterrestrial nuclear power.
“Space is a global commons, not a sphere for unilateral conquest.” —VP Kamala Harris on lunar cooperation https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1807001234567890123— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 14, 2025
Vice President Kamala Harris, in remarks at the White House, emphasized that “space is a global commons” and pledged “robust collaboration with allies” to safeguard lunar peace.
As NASA’s Artemis program prepares to return astronauts to the Moon in 2027, officials face pressure to fast-track lunar gateways, landers and habitats. Last week, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced a new “Rapid Lunar Module” contract, awarding $1.2 billion to private firms for cargo landers that will scout potential nuclear reactor sites NASA.gov.
Looking ahead, analysts predict that controlling helium-3 and quantum computing infrastructure on the Moon could reshape Earth’s power dynamics. In the words of Lt. Gen. Kwast: “Whoever holds the keys to fusion fuel and unbreakable codes will define the next century of human progress and security.”
