China signs deal with Russia to build a power plant on the moon — potentially leaving the US in the dust

An illustration of people on a moon base with a red flag.

Russia has signed a deal with China to build a nuclear power plant on the moon.

The Russian reactor will be used to power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), jointly led by China and Russia, and should be completed by 2036, according to a memorandum of cooperation signed by the two nations.