China and Russia “will have nuclear reactors on the moon” in the next decade, a leading space commentator has warned.

On The Hard Shoulder today, Leo Enright said it should come as no surprise that anyone who wants to live on the moon “needs to go nuclear”.

Head of Russia’s space agency Yury Borisov announced they were “seriously” considering a joint project with China to get a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2025.

Timing

Mr Enright said the timing of this announcement was peculiar.

“They announced it when the general who runs the US military space programme, which is vastly bigger than NASA, was at a meeting warning of the dangers of the Russians in space,” he said.

“I think the Russians were thumbing their noses at the Americans.

“About a month ago there was a huge kerfuffle in Washington when one of the American senators announced the Russians were building some sort of nuclear weapon in space. “

The moon at night. Image: S Ballard / Alamy Stock Photo

Mr Enright said China is on track to achieve ‘boots on the moon’ by the end of the decade.

“It’s very likely the next person on the moon will be Chinese,” he said.

“They are absolutely powering ahead with their moon landing programme and have a launch coming up in the next several weeks of part of the system to put humans on the room – a communications satellite.

“The Chinese say that as soon as they get there, they are going to start building a lunar base.”

Human life

Mr Enright said nuclear energy is needed to sustain human life on the moon.

“For half the time you’re on the moon for two weeks every month you’re in total darkness because the sun is on the other side of the moon,” he said.

“A day on the moon lasts two weeks and a night on the moon lasts two weeks.

“You have no choice – you have to have nuclear.”

Mr Enright said Russia is “very good” at making nuclear reactors for space, which is why the two countries have teamed up.

Concerns

The space commentator said a nuclear reactor on the moon is not as concerning as one might think.

“It doesn’t matter as long as it’s away from the Earth,” he said.

“Apace agencies worry about launching large nuclear payloads as, even if they're planning on sending them away from earth, there is always a danger something will happen on the way up.”

The last crewed mission to the moon was Apollo 17 in December 1972.

Main image: Buzz Aldrin on the moon. Image: Alamy Stock Photos