Russia plans to develop lunar power generation by 2036

Russia is planning to build a power plant on the Moon after Roscosmos signed a long-term contract with the JSC "NPO Lavochkin" to develop a Russian lunar energy facility by 2036.

According to Interfax, the state space corporation said the contract was slunaigned in December 2025 and covers work scheduled for the period from 2025 to 2036. Under the agreement, the NPO Lavochkin will carry out a full range of activities required for the project, including the development of spacecraft, ground-based experimental testing, flight trials, and the deployment of infrastructure on the lunar surface.

The future power plant is designed to provide a long-term energy supply for participants in Russia’s lunar program, as well as for infrastructure facilities of the International Scientific Lunar Station. This will include facilities operated by foreign partner countries involved in the project.

Roscosmos described the initiative as a major milestone in the country’s lunar ambitions. “The project is an important step toward creating a permanently operating scientific lunar station and transitioning from single, one-off missions to a long-term lunar exploration program,” the corporation said.

The NPO Lavochkin is part of Roscosmos and specialises in the development of space systems for scientific research and Earth remote sensing. The organisation also manufactures upper-stage modules used to deliver spacecraft to designated near-Earth orbits.

The lunar power plant project is part of Russia’s broader space strategy. In June, Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said Russia plans to gradually transition by 2030 from operations aboard the International Space Station to its own national orbital station. He noted that the new space complex is expected to become the world’s first drone-type orbital platform, equipped with robotic self-maintenance systems.

Manturov added that the experience gained from operating this autonomous orbital station would later be applied to the construction of a nuclear power plant on the Moon, a move he said would allow Russia to position itself as a global technological leader in deep-space exploration.

By Tamilla Hasanova