The acting administrator of NASA, Sean Duffy, wants a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030. His directive says the first country to have a reactor could “declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States.

Nuclear power on the moon is critical to the United States' space exploration and national security goals, and the U.S. government should "move quickly" to build reactors there before its terrestrial rivals, according to a directive issued by Transportation Secretary and acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, which was obtained by ABC News.