All int'l lunar research station partners to have access to Russian nuclear power plant on Moon - Roscosmos deputy head

MOSCOW. June 5 (Interfax) - Russia is ready to independently design a lunar nuclear power plant for the Russian-Chinese project of an international lunar research station, and partners will be able to use generated power for station modules and robotic systems, Roscosmos Deputy General Director for Advanced Programs and Science Alexander Bloshenko told Interfax.

"We will make the lunar power plant. Roscosmos is the client ordering the space system," Bloshenko said in response to a question about the roles of Russia and China in the project.

Russia has proposed building a nuclear power plant to Chinese partners, Bloshenko said, adding that China and other project partners could use generated power for station modules and robotic systems.

He also said that Roscosmos did not plan to combine the lunar nuclear power plant and Zevs nuclear space tug projects into one.

"These are two separate projects that have the same theme, space nuclear power. The first project aims to develop a planetary power plant, and the other one aims to create an orbital system with a nuclear tug for deep space missions," Bloshenko said.

In early March 2024, Roscosmos head Yury Borisov said that Russia and China planned to deploy a nuclear power plant on the Moon in approximately 2023-2035. He said later that a Russian-Chinese expansion on the Moon will begin after 2036.

On March 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the development of a nuclear power plant in space required funding and should become a priority.