Moscow’s space chief, Yury Borisov, has said that a joint venture with Beijing might install a reactor to power a lunar settlement

莫斯科航天局长尤里·鲍里索夫表示,可能由一家与北京合资的企业安装一个反应堆,为月球定居点提供动力。

Russian and Chinese space officials are “seriously considering” a joint project to install a nuclear power station on the Moon within the next decade, to generate electricity for a future lunar settlement, Roscosmos chief Yury Borisov has revealed.

俄罗斯联邦航天局局长尤里·鲍里索夫透露,俄罗斯和中国的航天官员正在“认真考虑”一项联合项目,即在未来十年内在月球上建造一座核电站,为未来的月球定居点发电。

Borisov, a former deputy prime minister who was appointed to head the Russian space agency in 2022, claimed on Tuesday that the technology needed for a lunar nuclear development is already almost ready. “Today we are seriously considering a project – somewhere at the turn of 2033-2035 – to deliver and install a power unit on the lunar surface together with our Chinese colleagues,” he said at the World Youth Festival near Sochi.

鲍里索夫是前副总理,于2022年被任命为俄罗斯航天局局长。周二,他声称月球核开发所需的技术已经基本准备就绪。他在索契附近的世界青年节上说:“今天,我们正在认真考虑一个项目——在2033-2035年的某个时候——与我们的中国同事一起运送一个动力装置,并安装在月球表面。”

Nuclear power could be a solution for providing the energy needed for settlement on the Moon, Borisov said, as solar panels would not be able to generate enough electricity. Robots would be used to install the reactor, he added.

鲍里索夫说,由于太阳能电池板无法产生足够的电力,核能可能是提供月球定居所需能源的一种解决方案。他补充说,安装反应堆将用到机器人。

“This is a very serious challenge,” the Roscosmos director said. “It should be done in automatic mode, without the presence of humans.”

“这是一个非常严峻的挑战,”俄罗斯联邦航天局局长说。“这应该在自动模式下完成,不用人出现。”

Borisov added that the only technological hurdle that had not been cleared was a solution for cooling the reactor. “We are working on a space tugboat,” he said. “This huge, cyclopean structure that would be able – thanks to a nuclear reactor and high-powered turbines – to transport large cargoes from one orbit to another, collect space debris and engage in many other applications.”

鲍里索夫补充说,唯一没有清除的技术障碍是冷却反应堆的解决方案。“我们正在研制一艘太空拖船,”他说。“多亏了核反应堆和大功率涡轮机,这种巨大的巨型结构将能够将大型货物从一个轨道运输到另一个轨道,收集空间碎片并从事许多其他应用。”

The talk of a lunar reactor comes amid what some observers have called a modern-day space race between the US and its allies on one side and Russia and China on the other. US Space Command chief General Stephen Whiting has claimed that China is developing its space-based military capabilities at a “breathtaking” pace, while the Chinese Defense Ministry has warned that Washington is leading a dangerous push to militarize outer space.

在有关月球反应堆的讨论出现之际,一些观察人士称这是一场现代太空竞赛,一方是美国及其盟友,另一方是俄罗斯和中国。美国太空司令部司令斯蒂芬·怀廷将军声称,中国正以“惊人”的速度发展其太空军事能力,而中国国防部警告称,华盛顿正在领导一场危险的推动外太空军事化的行动。

US House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner alleged last month that Russia seeks to deploy a missile interceptor in space – possibly with a nuclear warhead – to boost its anti-satellite capabilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by saying Washington was using false claims to gain negotiating leverage on limiting space-based weaponry.

美国众议院情报委员会主席迈克·特纳上个月声称,俄罗斯试图在太空部署导弹拦截器——可能带有核弹头——以增强其反卫星能力。俄罗斯总统普京回应说,华盛顿是在利用虚假声明来获得限制太空武器的谈判筹码。