Russia is reportedly planning to establish a nuclear power plant on the moon within the next decade.
This ambitious project aims to supply energy for its lunar space programme and a joint research station with China, as global powers intensify their efforts in lunar exploration.
Historically, Russia has held a prominent position in space, notably with Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering journey in 1961.
However, its dominance has waned in recent decades, with the nation now trailing behind the United States and, increasingly, China.
The country’s lunar aspirations faced a significant setback in August 2023 when its uncrewed Luna-25 mission crashed during a landing attempt.
Furthermore, the landscape of space launches, once a Russian speciality, has been revolutionised by figures such as Elon Musk, adding to the competitive pressure.
Also liquid hydrogen and oxygen can be shipped up much easier than water directly.
It’s still the same amount of mass. It doesn’t get lighter because you ship it as it’s component parts.
Weight, sure. But with water the main issue is volume - water simply doesn’t compress that well. The volume of water you can carry will give you much less weight than the same volume of compressed oxygen and hydrogen gases.