US aiming to ‘win second space race'
The directive, first reported by Politico on Monday, calls for the development of a 100-kilowatt fission reactor capable of operating under lunar conditions by 2030. The move was framed as part of a strategic effort for space supremacy.
'This is about winning the second space race,' a senior NASA official told the outlet. Washington claimed victory in the first race against the USSR after successfully landing a manned mission on the Moon in 1969.
According to the document, also cited by other outlets, 'it is imperative the agency move quickly' in securing the technology for future exploration and national security projects.
The memo warned that if another country succeeds in deploying a lunar reactor first, it could 'declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States.'
Nuclear power is viewed as a breakthrough for sustained space exploration. Russia is developing its own space-based reactor for the Zeus nuclear-powered space tug, formally known as the Transport and Energy Module.
NASA previously funded the development of a 40-kilowatt lunar fission system, awarding three companies $5 million each to study its feasibility. Long lunar nights and shadowed regions make solar energy unreliable, prompting interest in alternative solutions.
Duffy, who also serves as secretary of transportation, was appointed acting NASA chief last month by US President Donald Trump.
Under the Trump administration, the agency's focus has shifted to manned missions to the Moon and Mars, while funding for robotic science missions has been reduced as part of broader government spending cuts.
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Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Russia Today
Russia is bringing missiles back. And this time, it's personal.
On August 4, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow is abandoning its unilateral moratorium on the deployment of ground-based intermediate- and shorter-range missiles (INF-class). The decision comes amid what Russian officials describe as an ongoing expansion of US missile systems in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, including weapons once banned under the now-defunct INF Treaty. The US has begun placing such systems in key regions on a potentially permanent basis, undermining strategic stability and creating a direct threat to Russia's national security. Moscow is preparing military-technical countermeasures in response – and is now lifting all political constraints on the development and deployment of such systems. RT examines the situation through the lens of leading Russian military experts, who describe the move as long-anticipated, technically overdue, and strategically inevitable. Their assessments shed light on Moscow's doctrinal shift, future deployment options, and the broader geopolitical implications for Europe and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Moscow had shown restraint for several years after the US withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019. Although legally freed from its obligations under the accord, Russia opted for a self-imposed moratorium, vowing not to deploy ground-based intermediate-range missiles unless similar US systems appeared near its borders. That condition, the Ministry statement asserts, no longer applies. 'Since 2023, we have observed instances of US systems capable of ground-launched INF strikes being transferred to the European NATO countries for trial use during exercises that clearly have an anti-Russian slant.' It also pointed to broader US and allied efforts to institutionalize deployments of such missile systems across multiple theaters. Specific examples included: The deployment of the Typhon missile launcher to the Philippines under the guise of drills, with the system remaining in place even after exercises concluded; Tests of the PrSM missile in Australia during 2025 exercises – with its future variants projected to exceed 1,000 km in range; The planned deployment of SM-6 interceptors in Germany by 2026, launched from the same Typhon system. Russia views these developments as 'destabilizing missile buildups' that threaten its national security 'at the strategic level.' The Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow will now undertake 'military-technical response measures', with the precise configuration to be determined by the Russian leadership based on inter-agency analysis and the evolving strategic environment. Officials also referenced an earlier warning issued in June 2025, when Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Russia's moratorium was approaching its 'logical conclusion' in light of 'sensitive missile threats' being fielded by the West. While Russia's announcement marks a formal policy shift, experts argue that the conditions for abandoning the moratorium have been building for years – largely due to developments on the US side. According to military analyst Ilya Kramnik, a research fellow at the Center for Strategic Planning Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, the deployment of INF-class systems by the United States and its allies has made Russia's restraint functionally obsolete. 'In principle, Russia has long had reason to consider itself free from any INF-related constraints,' he notes. 'But this week's statement appears to be synchronized with the start of deliveries of the Oreshnik missile system to the armed forces.' The US began laying the groundwork for forward deployment of ground-based missiles as early as 2021, when it launched the formation of Multi-Domain Task Forces (MDTFs) – mobile army units designed to integrate long-range fires, precision strike, and battlefield networking. These units were to be equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles using the Typhon launcher, a land-based containerized system derived from the naval Mk.41 vertical launch platform. 'The second such group, the 2nd MDTF, was formed in Germany,' Kramnik explains, 'with a clear orientation toward the European theater.' Meanwhile, the Typhon has been actively deployed in the Indo-Pacific, most notably to the Philippines, where it arrived during bilateral exercises but was not withdrawn. The US has also resumed tests of the PrSM missile in Australia – a platform that, in its future iterations, is expected to exceed a 1,000-km range, placing it well within INF classification. Plans for SM-6 missile deployment in Germany by 2026 – also via the Typhon system – further contributed to Russian concerns. Although originally designed as a naval interceptor, the SM-6 has evolved into a multi-role weapon with conventional strike capability. Taken together, these moves have prompted Russian officials to conclude that the United States is pursuing a strategy of 'sustained forward missile presence' across both Europe and Asia – effectively restoring the kind of reach that the INF Treaty once prohibited. 'The military-technical reality has changed,' says Kramnik. 'The political gesture now simply reflects that shift.' With the self-imposed moratorium now lifted, Russia is expected to move rapidly toward expanding its inventory of ground-based intermediate- and shorter-range missile systems. The focus, according to Russian defense experts, will be not only on production but on doctrinal adaptation and forward deployment. One of the central components of Russia's future arsenal is the Oreshnik system – a mobile platform widely viewed as the spiritual successor to the Soviet-era Pioneer (SS-20). The weapon was first publicly hinted at in 2023, and serial deliveries to Russian troops were reported to have begun in mid-2025. 'The moratorium's expiration was long overdue,' says Vasily Kashin, Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at HSE University. 'The very first test of Oreshnik signaled that Russia was moving away from self-imposed limits. Now that move has been formalized – and it must be fully implemented.' Kashin notes that Soviet missile forces had previously considered positioning Pioneer-class systems in the northeast of the country, including near Anadyr in Chukotka – from where missiles could potentially reach deep into the US mainland, including San Francisco. Modern deployment patterns, however, are likely to prioritize northwestern and southern Russia, given their proximity to NATO territory. In addition to Oreshnik, experts expect land-based variants of the Kalibr and Tsirkon missile families to be introduced, along with new ballistic versions of the Iskander system. 'We will likely see a full spectrum of platforms: cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic,' says Dmitry Stefanovich, co-founder of the Watfor think tank. 'These systems are already being incorporated into various service branches – not just the Strategic Missile Forces, but also the Ground Forces and the Navy's coastal units.' Stefanovich adds that Belarus is a likely site for early deployments – and that newly formed missile brigades may emerge across all Russian military districts by the end of 2025. The lifting of Russia's moratorium revives a security dilemma once thought relegated to Cold War history – the deployment of nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles on the European continent. 'The current trajectory evokes the Euro-missile crisis of the Cold War,' says Sergey Oznobishchev, Director of the Institute for Strategic Assessments. 'Back then, it took years of confrontation before the sides finally reached the INF Treaty. We may see a similar pattern again.' US allies are not merely accepting new deployments – some are actively seeking them. Alongside US systems, European initiatives such as the ELSA program and missile developments in South Korea and Japan are reshaping regional balances. 'This is no longer just a bilateral arms race,' Stefanovich notes. 'We are witnessing a multinational acceleration – with several countries now embracing systems that were once considered too destabilizing.' While primarily strategic in nature, intermediate-range missiles may also play a role on the battlefield – particularly in Ukraine, experts suggest. 'We are likely to see more 'combat testing' of such missile systems as part of the special military operation,' Stefanovich says. 'Their ability to strike deep, fast, and precisely makes them valuable against air defenses and critical infrastructure.' He predicts that Russia will form new multi-role missile formations, including equivalents of the American MDTF, capable of integrating strike systems, air defense, and electronic warfare across all branches – including VDV and Aerospace Forces. 'We are at the beginning of a multi-directional arms race,' says Stefanovich. 'This is a missile renaissance, driven not by ambition but by necessity.' Although some experts – including Oznobishchev – suggest that a new arms control regime may eventually emerge, the current consensus is clear: restraint has ended, and military-technical competition is accelerating. 'The global trajectory is clear,' Stefanovich concludes. 'Deterrence is back – and it's being redefined.'
Russia Today
6 hours ago
- Russia Today
Timing of case against ICC chief prosecutor is highly suspicious
The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was slapped with sexual assault allegations shortly before seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, raising suspicions about the timing of the accusations, columnist Rachel Marsden has told RT. Before officially seeking the warrants, Khan reportedly informed London about his plans, only to face threats from then Foreign Secretary David Cameron that the UK would bail out of the ICC altogether if he proceeded with his plan, Marsden noted. In April of 2024, roughly a month before the prosecutor officially sought the arrest warrants, a staffer at the ICC accused him of chronically sexually assaulting her. She complained to Thomas Lynch – an American lawyer and a close adviser at the ICC – who then alerted some internal oversight bodies within the ICC. The US, which has never recognized the ICC's mandate, opposed the issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant from the very beginning and repeatedly threatened Khan with sanctions. Washington eventually imposed the restrictions on the court, some of its judges, and Khan personally. The ICC closed two internal probes against Khan after the complainant declined to cooperate. The RT contributor recalled that a note about the alleged sex assault case was then leaked to the media in October of 2024, just days before the court officially issued the arrest warrants in November of 2024. The court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, then publicly named Khan as a suspect in the sex assault case and outsourced the investigation to the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services – something the former ICC judges have called 'completely outside of protocol that they're aware of,' as well as 'plain strange,' according to the columnist. Khan appears to be either suffering from the worst timing possible or is 'being taken out with a plot line so obvious that it wouldn't make the first draft of a Netflix political thriller,' Marsden said. Watch the full commentary below.
Russia Today
10 hours ago
- Russia Today
China turns to BRICS partner for coffee amid US tariffs
Beijing has authorized nearly 200 Brazilian companies to export coffee to the Chinese market amid escalating trade tensions between the South American nation and the US, according to the Chinese embassy in Brazil. The greenlight follows Washington's decision to impose a hefty tariff on Brazilian coffee and other goods. The 50% tariff, which took effect in late July, targets coffee and meat – two key sectors of Brazil's economy. The move comes amid the broader trade war launched by US President Donald Trump against multiple countries. 'China has approved the authorization of 183 new Brazilian coffee companies to export to the Chinese market,' the embassy said Saturday in a post on Twitter, adding that the measure took effect on July 30 and will remain valid for five years. 🚢☕️ #café brasileiro na china! A China aprovou a habilitação de 183 novas empresas brasileiras de café para exportação ao mercado chinês. A medida entra em vigor em 30 de julho de 2025 e tem validade de 5 anos.#CaféBrasileiro#Exportação#China#BrasilChina# Brazil's Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade has estimated that 35.9% of exports to the US will be affected by the tariffs, warning that annual losses could reach up to $14.5 billion. During the 2024/2025 crop year, Brazil exported 7.468 million bags of coffee to the US, making it the largest destination for Brazilian coffee exports, according to the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council. The US accounted for 16.4% of Brazil's total coffee exports. In monetary terms, that amounted to $1.9 billion in coffee exports, along with $1.35 billion worth of meat. China's growing appetite for coffee appears to align with its latest move to expand imports from Brazil. According to data from the International Coffee Organization, coffee consumption in China grew by 15% in the latest season. At the same time, the number of branded coffee shops in the country surged by 58% over the past 12 months, reaching 49,691 outlets, according to market intelligence firm Alegra Group. The rapid expansion signals China's emergence as a key growth market for global coffee producers. Trump has defended the steep tariffs on Brazilian goods, citing what he called a 'witch hunt' against former President Jair Bolsonaro, despite the fact that the US ran a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil in 2024. Trump had previously justified his trade policies by claims that he intended to correct trade imbalances.
