Ammon News - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will reportedly announce a timeline for NASA to build a nuclear reactor on the moon this week.

The interim administrator of the space agency is moving forward one of NASA's most ambitious long-term plans with the goal of "winning the second space race," Politico reported, citing internal documents.

Newsweek has contacted NASA for comment via email.

Earlier this year, NASA laid off 10 percent of its workforce as part of the Trump administration's broader federal government downsizing initiative. The federal employee buyout program implemented by President Donald Trump's administration has led to 750 employees voluntarily resigning, and about 1,000 probationary employees were terminated when the policy first began in February. The layoffs have raised concerns about the agency's ability to maintain critical projects.

Reports of the planned lunar nuclear reactor also raises questions about the timing of NASA's Artemis II moon mission, which has been delayed repeatedly.

According to Politico, Duffy said in the documents that the accelerated timeline was prompted by fears that China and Russia would be able to get a reactor on the moon by the mid-2030s and effectively gatekeep lunar activity.

Under the accelerated timeline, the nuclear reactor would be ready to launch in late 2029 and would be required to generate a minimum 100 kilowatts of electrical power, The New York Times reported.

The Politico report, published on Monday, also said NASA would be moving up its timeline to replace the International Space Station. The space station, now more than two decades old, is set to be retired at the end of 2030 via a controlled reentry. Newsweek