The United States is preparing to unveil an accelerated plan to build and operate a nuclear reactor on the Moon, according to multiple media reports citing internal government documents. Acting NASA Administrator and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is expected to issue a formal request for industry proposals for a 100-kilowatt fission surface power system capable of supporting astronauts and equipment on the lunar surface. The directive, described in draft materials obtained by Politico and echoed in a Fox News report, sets 2030 as the target date for the reactor to be up and running. The plan marks the first major initiative under Duffy’s interim leadership of NASA and calls for closer public-private collaboration than previous lunar power concepts. National-security considerations appear to be driving the timeline. The draft directive warns that whichever nation deploys the first reactor could declare a lunar “keep-out zone,” a scenario U.S. officials fear could materialize if China and Russia succeed in their own joint lunar project. By fast-tracking a domestic reactor, Washington aims to secure a sustained power source for planned Artemis missions and reinforce U.S. strategic presence on the Moon.