In America in 2025, it’s tough to know which we will see first, the Epstein files or a nuclear power plant on the Moon. The Trump administration certainly seems more committed to the latter.

Transportation Secretary and acting head of NASA Sean Duffy has reportedly issued a directive aiming for a lunar-ready reactor by 2030.

This is certainly one way of pushing more federal funding toward advanced reactor research. It also magnifies, through a fantastical lens, the broader hype around new nuclear power — and the daunting challenge of getting it deployed to meet our more immediate needs for carbon-free power back here at home.

Impractical reactors

Developing extra-terrestrial nuclear power is a worthy research project. If we are to someday establish permanent settlements on the Moon, t

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