NASA partners with the Department of Energy and Defense to develop nuclear power for lunar and space missions
Washington D.C.: The United States has decided to build nuclear reactors for space. These reactors will provide power for living on the moon and for space travel. The plan is to send a small reactor into space by 2028 and a larger one to the moon by 2030.
Nuclear reactors make energy from splitting atoms. This gives steady power for many years. Solar power from sunlight changes during the day. Reactors can work all the time without batteries. They also help spaceships go far without using chemical fuel.
The White House says this will give America “space superiority.” NASA, the Pentagon, and the Department of Energy will work together. They will ask different companies to compete and build the reactors. Each reactor must be able to grow bigger if needed.
The reactors will need to make at least 20 kilowatts of power for three years in space. On the moon, they must work for five years. The goal is to make some that can produce up to 100 kilowatts. This will help people live on the moon and travel deeper into space.
“Nuclear power in space will give us the sustained electricity, heating, and propulsion essential to a permanent presence on the moon, Mars, and beyond,” the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy posted. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said, “The time has come for America to get underway on nuclear power in space.” A flag emoji followed his message.
This plan will help the United States compete with China in space technology. Both countries want to build advanced power systems for the moon. Nuclear reactors could be the key to long-term space exploration.