Roscosmos head says rockets ready to send future nuclear plant infrastructure to Moon
In short
Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov said in an interview with Vesti that the infrastructure and carrier rockets for sending a future nuclear power plant to the Moon are ready. The power source itself is still being made, jointly with Rosatom and the Kurchatov Institute. Kommersant noted that he gave no launch dates.
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Dmitry Bakanov, head of Roscosmos, said that the infrastructure and carrier rockets for sending a future nuclear power plant to the Moon are ready. TASS, iXBT and RBC reported his statement on 21 October, saying it came in an interview with Vesti. Kommersant and Vedomosti reported that the rockets for sending the plant's infrastructure to the Moon are ready. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
As quoted by Kommersant and Vedomosti, Bakanov said suitable carriers exist and that the question is making the power source itself. He said Roscosmos is doing this jointly with Rosatom, under the scientific supervision of Mikhail Kovalchuk, and with the Kurchatov Institute. iXBT wrote that specialists are now working on creating the source. Kommersant noted that Bakanov did not name a possible launch date. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Vedomosti wrote that Bakanov also commented on disputes over who owns the Earth's satellite. According to the paper, he said the discussion is a matter of international law, while Roscosmos is responsible for technology. [ 5 ]
Vedomosti recalled earlier statements. Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said in March 2026 that items for a nuclear plant on the Moon with a capacity of at least 5 kW would be delivered by the mid-2030s, and that the plant would keep working for up to 10 years. In April, Russian Academy of Sciences vice-president Sergei Chernyshev said Russia was postponing the launches of three lunar missions to 2032-2036. Luna-29 is expected in 2032, Luna-30 in 2034 and Luna-28 in 2036. [ 5 ]
iXBT added that Russia and China are discussing wider cooperation in space. The agenda includes joint work on lunar and Mars missions and better navigation accuracy through joint use of signals from Russia's GLONASS and China's BeiDou. The outlet said there are no details on these projects yet. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The statement separates readiness of launch vehicles from the unfinished power source. The documents give no launch date, so the practical timing of a lunar plant remains open.
Key facts
- Dmitry Bakanov, head of Roscosmos, said the infrastructure and carrier rockets for sending a future nuclear power plant to the Moon are ready. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- He made the remarks in an interview with Vesti. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The power source itself is being developed jointly with Rosatom and the Kurchatov Institute under the scientific supervision of Mikhail Kovalchuk. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Bakanov did not name a possible launch date. [ 3 ]
- Russia and China are discussing wider space cooperation, including lunar and Mars missions and joint use of GLONASS and BeiDou signals. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Bakanov, head of Roscosmos, said in a Vesti interview that the infrastructure and carrier rockets for sending a future nuclear power plant to the Moon are ready. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The power source itself is being made jointly with Rosatom and the Kurchatov Institute under the scientific supervision of Mikhail Kovalchuk. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- When a launch to the Moon could take place. Kommersant says Bakanov did not name a date.
- Details of Russia-China cooperation on lunar and Mars missions and on GLONASS and BeiDou. iXBT says there are no details on these projects yet, and no other document mentions them.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS publishes Bakanov's statement on the readiness of infrastructure and carrier rockets. [ 1 ]
- iXBT publishes its report, including the Russia-China cooperation talks. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant publishes its report, noting that no launch date was given. [ 3 ]
- RBC publishes its report on the Vesti interview. [ 4 ]
- Vedomosti publishes its report with earlier statements on the lunar plant and lunar missions. [ 5 ]