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.

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.

Placing an atomic energy source on the lunar surface is “not science fiction,” experts say, but does pose technical challenges.