Placing an atomic energy source on the lunar surface is “not science fiction,” experts say, but does pose technical challenges.

US space agency Nasa will fast-track plans to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, according to US media. It is part of US ambitions to build a permanent base for humans to live on the lunar surface.

The Trump administration wants a nuclear reactor on the moon by the end of the decade in a bid to beat Russia and China to colonization.