Overview

• Duffy’s July 31 directive orders NASA to solicit industry proposals for a 100-kilowatt fission reactor on the lunar surface with a launch goal of 2030.
• The guidance mandates a dedicated project leader be named within 30 days and industry input be gathered within 60 days.
• To maintain U.S. access to low Earth orbit after the ISS retires, NASA must award contracts to at least two commercial firms, including Axiom Space, Vast and Blue Origin, within six months.
• The timeline responds to China and Russia’s joint lunar reactor effort and China’s target to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030, reflecting fears of potential ‘keep-out zones.’
• These moves align with the Trump administration’s push to boost crewed spaceflight funding for 2026 even as overall science mission budgets face steep cuts.