Arya News - Russia has incorporated the construction of a nuclear power plant into its lunar exploration program, Russian Academy of Sciences President (RAS) Gennady Krasnikov told Sputnik.
"This, of course, pertains to nuclear energy. The fact is that, unlike Mars for example, the Moon faces significant challenges regarding energy supply," Krasnikov said. The lunar night is long (which lasts about two Earth weeks) and, naturally, solar panels cannot handle energy generation during that period, the RAS president said. The RAS is working on a lunar exploration program scheduled until 2060. The current lunar program is planned until 2036, Krasnikov added.