China is considering building a nuclear plant on the moon to power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) it is planning with Russia, a presentation by a senior official showed on Wednesday.

China plans to build a nuclear power plant on the moon to fuel a research station it intends to open with Russia there, a senior official confirmed. No Chinese astronaut has ever set foot on the moon – but within 10 years China aims to have a permanent lunar base on its surface.

China's ambitious Chang'e-8 mission will aim to build a lunar base, and explore the use of a robotic arm and potentially a humanoid robot sent up to the moon to explore its surface