NASA is concluding the initial phase of its Fission Surface Power Project, which aims to develop concept designs for a compact, electricity-generating nuclear fission reactor for potential use on the moon.
The Fission Surface Power Project is part of NASA's broader efforts to establish safe, clean, and reliable energy sources for lunar exploration, particularly crucial due to the extended duration of lunar nights, which last approximately 14.5 Earth days.
The project awarded three $5 million contracts in 2022 to commercial partners, each tasked with creating an initial design encompassing the reactor, power conversion, heat rejection, power management and distribution systems, estimated costs, and a development schedule.
The goal is to support a sustained human presence on the lunar surface for at least a decade, aligning with NASA's Artemis program for lunar exploration.
Trudy Kortes, the program director of Technology Demonstration Missions at NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, emphasized the need to demonstrate a nuclear power source's safety, cleanliness, and reliability on the moon.
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