--- title: "Russia Proposes Nuclear Power Plant on Mars" description: "Nuclear Plant The topic of using nuclear power to build out our human presence in other parts of the solar system is as alive as it has ever been. A subsidiary of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency is proposing to send a nuclear power station to Mars to power a future Russian base on the Red […]" date: "2021-07-12" modified: "2021-07-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/russia-proposes-nuclear-power-plant-mars" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Space" tags: - "nuclear power" - "nuclear power plants" - "nuclear-powered flight" - "Roscosmos" - "Russia" - "the digest" --- # Russia Proposes Nuclear Power Plant on Mars ![A subsidiary of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency is proposing to send a nuclear power station to Mars to power a future Russian base.]() *\Image: Roscosmos\* ## Nuclear Plant The concept of using nuclear power to build out our human presence in other parts of the solar system is as alive as it's ever been. Case in point, a subsidiary of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency is now proposing a nuclear power station on Mars, intended to power a future Russian base on the Red Planet, state-run news agency [*Sputnik* reports](). The Arsenal Design Bureau, the subsidiary, is recommending using the same technologies destined for Zeus, a proposed interplanetary space tug, to power a nuclear reactor on the Martian surface as well. ## Zeus Delivery The massive space tug is designed to make use of a nuclear-powered electric propulsion system to deliver payloads throughout the solar system. Earlier this year, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin suggested that Zeus could also visit other planets, [including Jupiter](), to search for alien life. Russia is hoping to begin flight-testing it starting around 2030. The Arsenal Design Bureau is now proposing using Zeus to send a separate nuclear power station to the Red Planet and have a parachute landing system lower it to the surface below. ## Space Ambitions Despite serious budget constraints — according to *Sputnik,* the country spent less than a tenth on its space program compared to what the US government allocated to NASA last year — Russia's space agency has recently announced massively ambitious plans for the next ten years or so, including the launch of a [Russian space station](), [crewed and uncrewed missions]() to the Moon, and even the construction of a [Moon base]() in collaboration with China. Russia has plenty of work to do before it can send a nuclear powered space tug to deliver a nuclear power station to Mars, let alone construct a crewed base there. But the ambition is there — and perhaps, with the right political will, there could be a way. **READ MORE:** [Russian Space Agency Proposes Putting a Nuclear Power Station on Mars]() \[*Sputnik*\] **More on Russia's space program:** *[Russia Is Getting Ready to Chop an Entire Section Off the Space Station]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()