NASA announced plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon on Tuesday, in an attempt to stay ahead of China and Russia in a new space race. The goal is to have the reactor built before 2030, a timeline set during the Biden administration.

Nuclear reactors in space may sound like something out of science fiction, but they are likely to prove important for powering long-term space missions.

NASA has set a 2030 deadline to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the moon. It’s an ambitious but potentially achievable goal that could transform space exploration, experts tell WIRED.