Russia offers to Musk NPP for Mars

Russia can provide a small nuclear power plant for a mission to Mars, planned by billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of SPACEX Ilon Musk, President Vladimir Putin’s envoy for international cooperation Kiril Dmitriev said on Thursday. This is the second time of a month when Dmitriev talks about potential cooperation with Musk.

The proposal comes after US President Donald Trump has begun negotiations with Russia to revive bilateral ties. Moscow seeks to develop economic cooperation with Washington, although US sanctions against Russia due to conflict in Ukraine remain in force.

Musk, a close contributor to Trump, said earlier this month that his Senior Rocket will fly to Mars by the end of next year despite problems in the tests and skepticism of some space experts on Musk’s planned timeline.

In a publication on his platform X, Musk wrote that landings of a man on Mars could be realized in 2029, but « 2031 is more likely. » Last year, he announced plans to build a « self -supporting city for about 20 years » on Mars, a project that will need a source of energy.

Speaking in Murmansk on the sidelines of an Arctic Forum, Dmitriev, who runs a fund that attracts foreign investors, said Russia could contribute a lot to a potential mission on Mars.

« We believe that Russia has something to offer for a mission to Mars, because we have some nuclear technologies that I think can be applicable, » said Dmitriev, welcoming Musk as a « great visionary ».

Yuri Borisov, the then leader of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said last year that Russia and China were considering placing a nuclear power plant on the moon from 2033-35, something that could one day allow the construction of lunar settlements.

Russia said in 2022 that it would start working on its own mission on Mars after the European Space Agency (ESA) stopped a joint project with Moscow after the start of the war in Ukraine.