The United States wants to accelerate plans to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon.

NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy plans to accelerate construction of a lunar nuclear reactor and shift industry collaboration to replace the International Space Station.

The plans, outlined in directives distributed within NASA and reviewed by Bloomberg , mark Duffy's first major policy changes following his appointment as acting director of the space agency by U.S. President Donald Trump.

One of the directives, first reported by Politico , would aim to accelerate the development of a nuclear fission reactor that could be used to generate power on the Moon one day and inspire future designs for a power plant that could be used on Mars, according to Europa Press.

NASA had already awarded contracts to commercial companies to design small nuclear fission reactors, but Duffy's directive instructs NASA to engage industry to develop a more powerful reactor, with the goal of having the technology ready for launch by 2030.

The second directive focuses on NASA's efforts to leverage the commercial space industry to develop new space stations that could replace the International Space Station when it retires in the late 2030s.

The directive changes how the space agency will contract with companies selected to build replacement space stations, a measure designed to provide greater flexibility if NASA's funding levels fluctuate in the coming years.

These steps come days after Duffy met with Russian space agency chief Dmitry Bakanov in the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries' space agencies since 2018. During the meeting, Duffy and Bakanov discussed the future of the International Space Station, the orbital laboratory used by both nations, and joint lunar exploration, according to a Roscosmos statement.