Russia may give a little nuclear power plant for a Mars mission that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has planned, according to President Vladimir Putin’s minister for international assistance, Kirill Dmitriev, on Thursday.
Moscow and Musk may discuss the offer via videoconference, Dmitriev said. He was quoted by the state-run RIA news agency as saying,” Russia may offer a small nuclear power plant for a mission to Mars and other advanced technical features.” Because we have some nuclear technologies that I think might be useful, he continued,” We think Russia has a lot to offer for a mission to Mars.” Musk was a “great creative,” according to Dmitriev.
Dmitriev has discussed potential cooperation with Musk for the next time this month. Importantly, the suggestion comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has opened discussions with Russia to improve diplomatic ties, which had deteriorated as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. Despite US restrictions, Moscow is looking to expand economic ties with Washington, according to Reuters news agency.
Despite difficulties in tests and suspicion from authorities about the timeline, Musk recently stated that SpaceX’s Starship rocket is scheduled to reach Mars by the end of the year. He mentioned in a blog on X that mortal flights on Mars might occur as early as 2029, though 2031 was more probable.
Musk has also mentioned that it would take 20 years to construct a” self-sustaining city” on Mars, which would require a trustworthy power source.
Russia has been developing nuclear weapons for space operations. Former head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, claimed last year that Russia and China were thinking about building a nuclear power plant on the sun between 2033 and 2035, which might later support solar communities.
Russia also stated in 2022 that it would launch its own Mars mission after the European Space Agency ( ESA ) suspended a joint project following the start of the conflict in Ukraine.
