Overview
- NASA reaffirmed plans to deploy a fission reactor on the lunar surface with an operational goal of 2030.
- The U.S. Department of Energy is partnering on the project, which is framed as enabling a lasting human foothold and paving the way for missions to Mars.
- New NASA chief Jared Isaacman said nuclear power is required to achieve a new era of space exploration and to maintain U.S. leadership.
- Specific design, safety approach, siting, and deployment timelines remain undisclosed, though prior work references 100 kW-class systems designed for years of operation without refueling and potential use on the surface or in lunar orbit.
- Coverage situates the announcement within strategic competition with China and longstanding Russian interest, including reports of a planned China–Russia lunar facility.