Russia offers Elon Musk nuclear power plant for Mars flight

Russian Presidential Envoy for International Cooperation Kirill Dmitriev has said that Russia is ready to supply a small nuclear power plant for the SpaceX mission to Mars.

Source: Reuters

Quote from Dmitriev: "Russia can offer a small-sized nuclear power plant for a mission to Mars and other advanced technological capabilities."

Details: He added that the country has a number of nuclear technologies that could be useful for Mars’ exploration.

This is the second statement by a Russian official in a month about possible cooperation with Musk. Dmitriev called the businessman a "great visionary" and stressed the importance of the partnership.

Russia's request coincided with talks between Moscow and Washington to restore bilateral relations despite the US sanctions. Elon Musk has previously said that his Starship rocket could go to Mars as early as the end of next year, with the first human landing taking place between 2029 and 2031.

Russia also plans to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon together with China by the mid-2030s, and in 2022 announced its intention to work on a Mars mission on its own after ending cooperation with the European Space Agency.

Background: Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said he was planning a meeting with Elon Musk. He stated that the main topic of the talks will be "the future of humanity".

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!