Russia's Academy of Cosmonautics has announced that it will design a nuclear-powered lunar base, which is planned to be built over the period of 2030-2035, Pravda newspaper reports.
According to the Academy’s president, Igor Barmin, Russia has considered all aspects of the lunar base’s construction. Inflatable and transformable modules are to be used for the main structure, as are a variety of other options.
Units of high prefabrication, which are intended to produce nuclear power for the station, will be delivered to the Moon, he said. Igor Barmin stressed that the main power source for the projected lunar base would be nuclear.
The president of Academy of Cosmonautics noted that the European Space Agency and Roskosmos would assess the project.
It was noted that the EU and Russia have discussed the possibility of building a permanent settlement on the south pole of the Moon in an area with significant quantities of water.
