Edwin Lyman warns that the US effort to place a nuclear reactor on the Moon before China and Russia risks a potentially more dangerous space race.

Lunar hazards, including meteorite strikes and abrasive dust, could turn a small accident into widespread radioactive fallout, creating large exclusion zones.

The article claims Russia has superior experience with space reactors and controls the largest supply of HALEU, a safe fuel the US cannot produce at scale.

The US has not built a space-grade reactor since the 1960s and lacks a new working design with adequate heat dissipation and shielding.

Consequently, the US plan to deploy a reactor by 2030, six years ahead of its rivals, is described as fraught with risk.