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Detailed explanation-1: -China plans to build its first base on the moon by 2028, ahead of landing astronauts there in subsequent years as the country steps up its challenge to NASA’s dominance in space exploration. The lunar base will likely be powered by nuclear energy, Caixin reported.

Detailed explanation-2: -NASA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have given three companies $5 million each to make it possible to put nuclear power on the moon by 2031 - and potentially provide future Mars colonists with tons of reliable electricity.

Detailed explanation-3: -NASA is developing plans to put nuclear reactors on the moon. The tiny reactors would provide energy for future human settlements. If they work, the nuclear reactors could eventually be taken to Mars, an expert told Insider.

Detailed explanation-4: -NASA has chosen the three companies it will fund to develop a nuclear fission reactor ready to test on the Moon by the end of the decade. This power plant is set to be a vital component of Artemis, the American space agency’s most ambitious human spaceflight mission to date.

Detailed explanation-5: -Radioisotope power sources have been an important source of energy in space since 1961. Nuclear fission reactors for space have been used mainly by Russia, but new and more powerful designs are under development in both the USA and Russia. Plutonium-238 is a vital power source for deep space missions.