en.Wedoany.com Reported - Russia has developed a small modular nuclear reactor suitable for deep space exploration, orbital launches, and Arctic research, standardized in the form factor of a shipping container. Ilya Chekh, General Director of the "Scientific Frontier" Technology Association, revealed at the "Innoprom-2026" international forum that Russia will be the first country to manufacture such a reactor and has already attracted interested investors and partners.

Chekh explained that this series of modular nuclear reactors has an electrical power output of 170 MW and can supply power to small cities or even lunar cities. Currently, a small team of physicists has completed the device design, and the next goal is to put the development results into mass production, achieving an optimal plan of building one reactor per day. He noted that historically, Russia's most powerful industry has been the nuclear sector, and nuclear energy in space is a necessary stage of development for humanity to venture into deep space.

The reactor's application scenarios cover deep space exploration, orbital launches, Arctic exploration, and the development of remote mineral deposits. Chekh stated that Russia will cooperate with China and the United States in deep space exploration.

In terms of research progress, Dmitry Bakanov, General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation, announced on April 1 that the preliminary design of a space system based on the "Nucleon" nuclear power unit has been completed. This design is part of the "Zeus" nuclear-powered tug project, specifically designed for deep space flights. In December 2020, Roscosmos officially signed a contract with the "Arsenal" Design Bureau for the preliminary design of "Nucleon," with a contract value exceeding 4.17 billion rubles.