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3d ago

NASA Accelerates Lunar Nuclear Reactor Program with Swift Timelines

Aiming to secure U.S. leadership in lunar power, the directive locks in six-month deadlines for industry contracts alongside a $350 million FY2026 budget.

An artistic rendering by NASA of a fission reactor on the moon.
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Overview

  • Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy’s July 31 directive requires a Fission Surface Power program executive within 30 days, RFPs in 60 days and contract awards in six months.
  • NASA has earmarked $350 million for FY2026 and plans to boost funding to $500 million annually from FY2027 to develop a 100 kW small modular reactor for moon deployment.
  • Industry proposals from consortia led by Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and X-Energy are being solicited imminently under the accelerated schedule.
  • The program targets a late-2029 or early-2030 launch to power Artemis outposts at the lunar south pole and establish U.S. “keep-out zones” around strategic terrain.
  • The compressed timeline is designed to outpace Russia and China’s joint mid-2030s lunar SMR plan, intensifying the international space power race.