China plans development of new nuclear system to power its bases on Moon by 2028

China is developing a nuclear system that will be used to power its lunar station planned to be developed on the Moon's South Pole. Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese lunar exploration programme, told Chinese broadcaster CCTV that this new system will fulfill the 'high-power energy demands' of the station, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. Notably, the station is being developed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Russian space agency Roscosmos and is expected to complete by 2028.

The station's basic configuration reportedly consists of a lander, a hopper, an orbiter and a rover. Once the construction is over, the nuclear system will be used to operate the aforementioned instruments as well as for other tasks such as extracting water from the lunar surface and producing oxygen for astronauts. 

(Graphical representation of China's lunar station; Image: CNSA)

While the Chinese expert refused to share details about the new nuclear powerhouse, previous reports have revealed that it would generate around 1 megawatt of electricity, according to SCMP. He, however, did reveal that there would be big rovers deployed at the station which astronauts could use for transportation. Besides, the hopper is another next-generation vehicle that could hop in and out of the craters while hunting water on the Moon. Apart from the equipment, the nuclear system will also be used to power the communication systems for uninterrupted contact with Earth. 

China has emerged as one of the biggest players in the space race and has successfully carried out multiple robotic missions on the Moon. It is also a strong contender in colonising the Moon after the US, which has its own ambitions of establishing a sustainable permanent base through NASA's Artemis program. "China was the first country to propose building such a research station at the lunar south pole," the Chinese expert said per SCMP. With five successful lunar missions in the last 15 years, China is now working on the Chang’e 6, 7 and 8 missions to eventually land its astronauts on the Moon. 

NASA, on the other hand, has been criticial of China's intentions as it recently alleged that Beijing might be planning to take over the Moon as part of its military program. This was confirmed by NASA administrator Bill Nelson in July who said that the American space administration has, in fact, been "very concerned" about China's alleged agenda of hijacking the Moon.