Acting NASA administrator and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has ordered the space agency to fast-track the development of a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor for the Moon, according to a directive dated 31 July and obtained by multiple outlets including Politico and CNN. The document instructs NASA to name a program executive within 30 days and issue a formal request for industry proposals within 60 days, marking the first major policy move since Duffy took the helm in July. The reactor would provide continuous power for planned Artemis surface operations, overcoming two-week lunar nights that limit solar arrays. NASA has worked on smaller fission systems since 2022, when it funded three 40-kilowatt concept studies; Duffy’s order doubles the power requirement and sets an aggressive target to launch the unit by late 2029 or 2030—enough electricity to run roughly 80 U.S. homes. Duffy framed the initiative as a strategic response to China and Russia, which have announced a joint goal of deploying a lunar reactor in the mid-2030s. The directive warns that whichever nation lands first could establish a "keep-out zone" around critical resources. The push aligns with the Trump administration’s emphasis on crewed spaceflight, even as other NASA science programs face potential budget cuts.