The reactor would launch to the moon by 2030, according to a directive by Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy that was sent to NASA officials in July and obtained by NPR. It's an ambitious target that has some in the scientific community concerned about high costs and a potentially unrealistic schedule.

Is NASA going to put a nuclear reactor on the moon? Here's what Sean Duffy said about U.S. race against China in space and going to Mars.

The Trump administration is pushing efforts to place a nuclear reactor on the moon to power a future human base. A newly revealed directive from acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy outlines a goal to launch the reactor by 2030, a timeline some scientists warn could be too ambitious due to high costs and technical challenges.