Nuclear propulsion: the Russians head for Jupiter

Russia is planning a mission to Jupiter in 2030 with nuclear-powered spacecraft, while the USA is also considering this technology to reduce space travel, opening up new prospects for space exploration.

Share:

Nuclear propulsion in spaceships? According to the Russian space agency Rocosmos, this project is due to become a reality by 2023. Russia’s goal: to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Jupiter by 2030. The conquest of space is relaunched.

Nuclear propulsion: reaching Jupiter in 2030

Russia’s space agency, Roscomos, has announced its plans for interplanetary space travel. This is made possible by the development of nuclear-powered spacecraft. Russia plans to launch the first space mission, named Zeus, in 2030, bound for Jupiter.

The first energy module will travel through space for 50 months, from the Moon to Venus and Jupiter. The latter is designed to generate enough energy to traverse space and is capable of carrying heavy loads. Once it reaches the Moon, the module will separate into two ships. One will remain on the Moon, the other will continue its journey to Jupiter.

Nuclear propulsion
Jupiter, the solar system’s fifth planet, is the largest and most massive gas giant.

A project shared by NASA

Russia is not the only country looking to travel using nuclear propulsion. The United States and NASA believe that the use of nuclear propulsion would considerably reduce space travel times. NASA is also planning to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft bound for Mars.

The United States also plans to place a 10-kilowatt nuclear power plant on the Moon in 2027.

An alternative to solar power

Many spacecraft use solar panels to power themselves. However, the farther the ships are from the sun, the less solar power is a viable option, forcing the use of battery backup. Space exploration is therefore limited to the capacity of these back-up batteries.

The use of nuclear-powered vessels will reduce these constraints, and enable us to go even further. It’s relatively inexpensive, safe and capable of producing large quantities of energy. The Zeus project will feature a 22-ton, 500-kilowatt nuclear reactor.

And this, in turn, makes it possible to move from one planet to another, changing the game.

Russian nuclear reactors in space

As part of the RORSAT mission, the Soviet Union has already invested space with a number of nuclear reactors. In comparison, the United States has just one, launched in 1965.

However, the United States has reaffirmed its desire to reclaim nuclear-powered energy. And it did so by commissioning three companies – Blue Origins, Lockeed Martin and General Atomics – to develop nuclear-powered rockets. The aim is to launch this technology in 2025.

In short, Russians and Americans, like the Chinese, are looking to conquer Space. Nuclear propulsion could thus democratize space travel.

Nearly USD92bn will be invested by major American and international groups in new data centres and energy infrastructure, responding to the surge in electricity demand linked to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Nouakchott has endured lengthy power interruptions for several weeks, highlighting the financial and technical limits of the Mauritanian Electricity Company as Mauritania aims to widen access and green its mix by 2030.
Between 2015 and 2024, four multilateral climate funds committed nearly eight bn USD to clean energy, attracting private capital through concessional terms while Africa and Asia absorbed more than half of the volume.
The Global Energy Policies Hub shows that strategic reserves, gas obligations, cybersecurity and critical-mineral policies are expanding rapidly, lifting oil coverage to 98 % of world imports.
According to a report by Ember, the Chinese government’s appliance trade-in campaign could double residential air-conditioner efficiency gains in 2025 and trim up to USD943mn from household electricity spending this year.
Washington is examining sectoral taxes on polysilicon and drones, two supply chains dominated by China, after triggering Section 232 to measure industrial dependency risks.
The 2025-2034 development plan presented by Terna includes strengthening Sicily’s grid, new interconnections, and major projects to support the region’s growing renewable energy capacity.
Terna and NPC Ukrenergo have concluded a three-year partnership in Rome aimed at strengthening the integration of the Ukrainian grid into the pan-European system, with an in-depth exchange of technological and regulatory expertise.
GE Vernova has secured a major contract to modernise the Kühmoos substation in Germany, enhancing grid reliability and integration capacity for power flows between Germany, France and Switzerland.
The National Energy System Operator forecasts electricity demand to rise to 785 TWh by 2050, underlining the need to modernise grids and integrate more clean energy to support the UK’s energy transition.
Terna has signed a guarantee agreement with SACE and the European Investment Bank to finance the Adriatic Link project, totalling approximately €1bn ($1.08bn) and validated as a major transaction under Italian regulations.
India unveils a series of reforms on oil and gas contracts, introducing a fiscal stability clause to enhance the sector’s attractiveness for foreign companies and boost its growth ambitions in upstream energy.
The European Commission is launching a special fund of EUR2.3bn ($2.5bn) to boost Ukraine’s reconstruction and attract private capital to the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Asia dominated global new renewable energy capacity in 2024 with 71% of installations, while Africa recorded limited growth of only 7.2%, according to the latest annual report from IRENA.
US President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act dramatically changes energy investment rules, imposing restrictions on renewables while favouring hydrocarbons, according to a recent report by consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie.
On July 8, 2025, the Senate validated the Gremillet bill, aimed at structuring France's energy transition with clear objectives for nuclear power, renewable energies, and energy renovation.
Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru significantly increase renewable electricity production, reaching nearly 70% of the regional electricity mix, according to a recent Wood Mackenzie study on Latin America's energy sector.
The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
The German Ministry of Economy plans to significantly expand aid aimed at reducing industrial electricity costs, increasing eligible companies from 350 to 2,200, at an estimated cost of €4bn ($4.7bn).
A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.