'We want to get there first and claim that for America': NASA chief explains push for nuclear reactor on the moon (video)

A man in a blue suit speaks in front of a plaque reading "united states department of transportation".

NASA's interim administrator says his call for the United States to put a nuclear reactor on the lunar surface by 2030 is part of a new race to the moon.

Agency chief Sean Duffy made the remarks during a press conference titled "Unleashing American Drone Dominance" hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (which Duffy also runs) on Aug. 5. According to Duffy, the reactor is part of a new space race, one with the ultimate goal of establishing a sustained human presence on the moon.