The reactor would launch to the moon by 2030, according to a directive by Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy that was sent to NASA officials in July and obtained by NPR. It's an ambitious target that has some in the scientific community concerned about high costs and a potentially unrealistic schedule.

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

NASA plans to establish a continuous lunar presence by 2030 with a nuclear reactor, crucial for powering habitats and operations during long lunar nig