Reactor

The United States plans to place a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, while a Russian-Chinese partnership is developing its own lunar reactor targeted for 2036. The competing projects have drawn attention because some leading scientists warn the risk to Earth is significant, noting that rockets carrying nuclear material could explode during launch or transit.

China is moving ahead with the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs), compact nuclear plants that can be built faster and cheaper than conventional reactors. The development has reignited a debate among energy watchers over whether SMRs could eventually undercut solar power as the dominant clean energy source, or whether the two technologies will complement each other. Commenters are weighing China's nuclear ambitions against the falling cost of solar and storage.

Italy's Senate has given final approval to a law by Giorgia Meloni's government establishing a new framework for producing nuclear energy, nearly four decades after the country abandoned nuclear power following the 1987 referendum. The government plans to focus on new-generation reactors, marking a major shift in Italy's energy policy and its approach to energy security and decarbonisation.

The United States and other major powers are competing to deploy nuclear reactors on the Moon, according to a New York Times report. The effort is framed as both an energy solution for long-term lunar bases and a geopolitical contest over who sets the rules for activity on the lunar surface.

Researchers held additional talks covering a range of nuclear topics, including plutonium production in fast reactors, the effects of nuclear war on water cycles, measurements at nuclear weapon test sites, remote detection of tests, and the links between sustainability and nuclear non-proliferation. The sessions bring together technical and policy questions around nuclear weapons and energy.

Russia has carried out a large-scale emergency exercise at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in the Urals, simulating simultaneous accidents at two reactors. Around 1,000 responders took part, with sirens sounded and evacuation procedures rehearsed. The plant houses the BN-800 fast breeder reactor, and authorities describe such drills as routine safety preparedness.

Nvidia has invested in Reactor, a startup building world models, as investors pour large sums into companies developing AI systems that simulate physical environments. The funding reflects growing interest in world model startups, seen as a next step beyond language models, with Nvidia's backing signaling confidence in the sector's commercial potential.

West Virginia's interest in nuclear power is back in focus as WOWK 13 News dedicates a segment of its Inside West Virginia Politics program to nuclear energy and the question of waste storage. The discussion comes as more US states weigh small modular reactors and how to handle spent fuel. The program looks at what nuclear development could mean for the state's economy and energy mix.