OAN Staff Cory Hawkins
10:00 AM – Wednesday, January 14, 2026
NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy plan to construct and deploy a fission surface power system—a nuclear reactor—on the Moon in the next four years to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface and assist future missions to Mars.
According to an announcement from both departments, the reactor is designed to provide continuous, reliable electrical energy independent of sunlight, enabling it to withstand the Moon’s fortnightly day cycles and the extreme lunar temperatures. It would generate around 100 kilowatts of power and operate for years without refueling, supporting habitats, scientific experiments, and infrastructure for permanent lunar bases.
“Under President Trump’s national space policy, America is committed to returning to the Moon, building the infrastructure to stay, and making the investments required for the next giant leap to Mars and beyond,” NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement.
“Achieving this future requires harnessing nuclear power. This agreement enables closer collaboration between NASA and the Department of Energy to deliver the capabilities necessary to usher in the Golden Age of space exploration and discovery,” Isaacman continued.
For several years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been developing a reactor capable of powering multiple lunar bases, which would be established under its Artemis program, according to Space.com. President Donald Trump issued an executive order, named “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” back in December 2025, aiming to construct a permanent lunar surface base by 2030.
“History shows that when American science and innovation come together, from the Manhattan Project to the Apollo Mission, our nation leads the world to reach new frontiers once thought impossible,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement.
“This agreement continues that legacy. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and his America First Space Policy, the Department is proud to work with NASA and the commercial space industry on what will be one of the greatest technical achievements in the history of nuclear energy and space exploration,” Wright continued.
The collaboration between the departments has been fostered through years of joint efforts, including a memorandum of understanding that formalizes responsibilities for design, fueling, authorization, and launch preparation. NASA has been working with a variety of organizations to achieve its goals, such as Westinghouse, which is involved in related microreactor development.
In addition to Westinghouse’s role, NASA and the DOE have awarded contracts to companies like Lockheed Martin, Intuitive Machines, and X-energy to explore fission surface power architectures. The system is expected to use a closed Brayton cycle for efficient energy conversion, ensuring safe and consistent power delivery that supports long-term lunar operations and aligns with broader commercial space industry involvement.
This push aligns with U.S. space policy goals, including maintaining leadership in space exploration amid a second wave of “space race” competition from other nations like China.
The timeline is slightly paradoxical, as past efforts have faced delays due to shifting priorities or technical challenges. The agencies seek complete designs by late 2029 and launching in early 2030, though specifics on exact deployment remain unclear.
This development has the potential to mark a significant milestone in space exploration, allowing the first nuclear reactor to operate on another celestial body and taking the first big step for future advanced space exploration.
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