It started as a vague proposal during the final year of Donald Trump’s presidency, but now, under a renewed directive quietly reactivated through backchannel agreements, the controversial plan to place a nuclear reactor on the moon is back — and this time, it’s happening. According to recently unsealed documents from the Department of Energy and statements from Trump-aligned advisors, the project is moving forward under a federal-private contract initially drafted in 2020, now revived with fresh urgency ahead of the 2026 lunar mission window.
The initial proposal, code-named Project Artemis-Reactor, was first announced through a joint NASA and DOE statement in late 2020, just months before Trump left office. At the time, it was billed as a “sustainable surface energy initiative” to support future moon bases. But internal memos obtained by Politico reveal that several of the program’s contractors have remained active over the past five years, quietly preparing components for a lunar reactor funded through military-adjacent research channels.
Trump’s team just confirmed it: the nuclear reactor for the moon is already being assembled. This isn’t sci-fi — it’s happening. #MoonReactor— OrbitWire (@OrbitWire) August 7, 2025
The renewed push is being led by a group of former Trump-era officials who have since formed a shadow consortium of space, energy, and defense contractors. One of the key players is LunarGrid, a Nevada-based startup with deep connections to Trump’s Space Council, as profiled by Bloomberg. Their mission? Build and launch a compact fission power system capable of sustaining long-term lunar habitation — all within the next 18 months.
Trump himself, during a recent campaign-style event in Texas, made veiled references to the project. “When I was in office, we started something the fake media didn’t want you to know,” he told the crowd. “Let’s just say — our moon isn’t going dark anymore.”
The implications are massive. As outlined in a Scientific American analysis, the introduction of nuclear reactors to the lunar surface raises significant questions about space militarization, radiation management, and international treaty violations. Despite Trump’s insistence that the project is “100% peaceful,” critics argue it lays the foundation for a space-based energy monopoly — or worse.
Putting a nuclear reactor on the moon? That’s not science fiction. That’s how you start a planetary arms race. #SpaceRace #TrumpMoonPlan— DeepSpace Policy Watch (@DSPWatch) August 7, 2025
The news has sent shockwaves through the international community. The European Space Agency has reportedly requested an emergency session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), citing possible violations of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bars nuclear weapons or reactors from being placed in orbit or on celestial bodies without international consent.
In response, Trump’s former national security advisor Robert O’Brien defended the plan during an interview with Fox News, saying, “This is not a weapon. It’s a power generator. If we don’t lead, China will — and they’re already testing lunar nuclear tech.”
That claim appears backed by recent intelligence reports. According to Defense One, Chinese state-run aerospace firms have been quietly developing their own fission modules for use on the moon by 2028. Trump’s inner circle has seized on this as justification for accelerating the U.S. timeline.
Still, many scientists are urging caution. A panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences last month warned that a rushed deployment of a lunar reactor without international collaboration could lead to “irreversible contamination” of the moon’s south pole region — one of the primary targets for future water and ice extraction.
The Trump reactor plan for the moon is real. The risks? Even more real. #LunarPolitics— Cosmic Watchdog (@cosmicwatchdog) August 7, 2025
What makes this story even more surreal is how little the public has known until now. While some details were hinted at in earlier coverage — including a 2020 Space.com report — most of the technical specs were buried in Department of Defense subcontracts related to “deep space infrastructure.”
A whistleblower within one of the affiliated tech firms recently spoke to ProPublica, alleging that certain safety benchmarks had been “skipped or minimized” in order to meet political deadlines. The source, who remains anonymous, said: “This isn’t just about exploration anymore. This is geopolitical chess, and the stakes are radioactive.”
Critics across the aisle are beginning to speak up. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), during a recent House committee session, said, “Trump’s administration not only left Earth in chaos — now they’re trying to leave their mark on the moon, too. Literally.” Meanwhile, some Republicans are distancing themselves from the plan altogether, fearing a backlash over potential environmental and diplomatic fallout.
NASA, for its part, has issued a cautiously worded press release acknowledging “ongoing partnerships in lunar surface energy research” but avoided directly naming the Trump-affiliated reactor program. Internally, however, NASA officials are reportedly split — some viewing it as a necessary leap for Artemis-era moon bases, others calling it a “rogue experiment” masquerading as innovation.
Public reaction has been swift and divided. Social media platforms lit up with trending hashtags like #NoNukesOnTheMoon and #TrumpSpaceForce. Some online communities are rallying behind the idea as a sign of American supremacy, while others view it as yet another reckless gamble with irreversible consequences.
As the countdown to launch begins — with testing phases set to begin in early 2026 at a secretive Nevada facility mapped in a Wired satellite investigation — the global debate over who controls space, and what powers they bring with them, has reignited.
Trump’s legacy may have started on Earth, but if this project moves forward as planned, it could leave a mark on the moon that outlasts every building he ever branded.