The US Moon mission could worsen geopolitical tensions

Keeping in mind that the first nation to set up a lunar reactor has grounds to create the first keep-out zone, the US is currently accelerating the development of the nuclear reactors. Hence, if they get there first, the US would have full autonomy to limit the operations of another nation and assert control in that region.

To complicate matters further, the Trump administration explicitly greenlit the commercialization of the Moon, encouraging American private companies to explore, recover, and use lunar resources.

Imagine the Moon being open to private companies, allowing them to establish their operations. Naturally, each company would set up operational keep-out zones around its sites to protect its assets and activities. As more US companies expand their presence and deploy missions, these keep-out zones would multiply across the lunar surface.

Over time, a patchwork of restricted areas could effectively lead to US-dominated lunar territory, significantly limiting the available space for other nations to explore or operate. Although these keep-out zones are meant to be temporary to reduce operational interference, they functionally resemble sovereign territory in practice.

China and Russia aren’t  signatories of the Artemis Accords, either, and couldn’t care less about these keep-out zones. If they wanted to, they could breach the US’s ‘restricted’ lunar areas.

The US has always aspired to be a leader, whether in healthcare, the military, or now, space. NASA’s rush to build a reactor by 2030 shows its willingness to do whatever it takes to claim a strategic advantage.

Meanwhile, with anti-Western sentiment brewing in the East, Russia and China are unlikely to turn a blind eye to the US’ escalation. As such, already fraught geopolitical tensions would undoubtedly worsen, spilling over into space.

The Moon, intended as a peaceful frontier for humanity, risks becoming an extension of political rivalries where the race to the top threatens cooperation, stability, and shared progress.

Wherever this race leads, one thing is certain – history is repeating itself, taking us back to the high-stakes space rivalry of the 1950s all over again.