Sean Duffy wants to fast-track putting a 100kw nuclear reactor on the moon, according to a directive he sent out Thursday. It would help win the "space race."

Placing an atomic energy source on the lunar surface is “not science fiction,” experts say, but does pose technical challenges.

President Donald Trump’s transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, has ordered NASA to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, just weeks after being named interim head of the space agency. Duffy’s appointment as NASA’s chief administrator came after Elon Musk’s pick for the post,