NASA, DOE aim for nuclear reactor on moon by 2030

NASA and the US Department of Energy (DOE) said they have recently signed a memorandum of understanding to solidify their collaboration and advance the "vision of American space superiority" set out in an Executive Order signed by US President Donald Trump on 18 December. As well as "returning Americans to the Moon by 2028" - through the Artemis Program - this order includes deploying nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit, including the development of a lunar surface reactor by 2030, as a priority.

"Under President Trump's national space policy, America is committed to returning to the Moon, building the infrastructure to stay, and making the investments required for the next giant leap to Mars and beyond," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. "Achieving this future requires harnessing nuclear power. This agreement enables closer collaboration between NASA and the Department of Energy to deliver the capabilities necessary to usher in the Golden Age of space exploration and discovery."

The agencies - which have a 50-year long history of collaboration - said they "anticipate deploying a fission surface power system capable of producing safe, efficient, and plentiful electrical power that will be able to operate for years without the need to refuel. The deployment of a lunar surface reactor will enable future sustained lunar missions by providing continuous and abundant power, regardless of sunlight or temperature".

_{Chris Wright and Jared Isaacman pictured at DOE headquarters on 6 January (Image: NASA/John Kraus)}

"History shows that when American science and innovation come together, from the Manhattan Project to the Apollo Mission, our nation leads the world to reach new frontiers once thought impossible," said US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. "This agreement continues that legacy."

Nuclear fission power is one of the two main power generation technologies for crewed surface exploration architectures considered in NASA's 2025 Integrated Lunar Power Strategy Considerations White Paper (the other is solar). The White Paper forms part of the agency's Moon to Mars Architecture, which defines the elements needed for long-term, human-led scientific discovery in deep space.

In 2022, NASA selected three design concepts for a 40KW nuclear power system designed to last at least 10 years in the lunar environment to receive USD5 million of funding under the Artemis campaign.