As NASA prepares to unveil plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon, experts warn that the world is now entering an increasingly risky space race.

Placing an atomic energy source on the lunar surface is “not science fiction,” experts say, but does pose technical challenges.

The United States is rushing to put nuclear power reactors on the Moon and Mars, and hopes to launch the first system by the end of the decade. A new NASA directive — first reported by Politico and seen by AFP on Tuesday — calls for the appointment of a nuclear power czar to select two commercial proposals within six months,