Armitage72
Philosopher
Running an extension cable back to the moon base seems like value enough. Why are you not satisfied with that?
It's worth noting that the only people talking about a moon base are us. The article focuses on just getting a reactor there before China does.
“It is about winning the second space race,” said a NASA senior official
The first country to have a reactor could “declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States,” the directive states, a sign of the agency’s concern about a joint project China and Russia have launched.
The agency is seeking companies able to launch a reactor by 2030 since that’s around the time China intends to land its first astronaut on the moon.
The closest thing to mentioning a base is:
The reactor directive orders the agency to solicit industry proposals for a 100 kilowatt nuclear reactor to launch by 2030, a key consideration for astronauts’ return to the lunar surface.