Facing a new space race with China and Russia, NASA is fast-tracking lunar nuclear power development and commercial space station contracts despite a 25% budget reduction.

NASA is accelerating its plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon. For several years now, the agency has been working to get a 40-kilowatt fission system ready for launch to the moon by the early 2030s. But interim NASA chief Sean Duffy is about to announce a more ambitious path, via a directive set to be released this week, according to Politico.