NASA is accelerating its plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon. For several years now, the agency has been working to get a 40-kilowatt fission system ready for launch to the moon by the early 2030s. But interim NASA chief Sean Duffy is about to announce a more ambitious path, via a directive set to be released this week, according to Politico.

Duffy's directive orders NASA to prepare a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor for launch by 2030, according to Politico. It might seem like an absurd prospect, but it's a necessity for a permanent human presence on the lunar on the Moon.

Is NASA going to put a nuclear reactor on the moon? Here's what Sean Duffy said about U.S. race against China in space and going to Mars.