NASA, DOE Push Nuclear Spacecraft

NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy have signed an agreement to expand cooperation on nuclear power and propulsion technologies for space exploration. The memorandum establishes a framework covering research, fuel production, testing, launch integration and operations, with safety identified as a central priority.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed the memorandum, titled “Accelerating American Leadership in Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion,” during the Golden Age Summit in Washington. The agreement is scheduled to take effect Nov. 1.

The partnership supports a goal outlined in a December 2025 executive order directing NASA to develop a launch-ready lunar surface reactor by 2030. NASA said its planned Space Reactor-1 Freedom mission, targeted for launch in 2028, is intended to advance nuclear propulsion from laboratory development toward operational deep-space use. A related Lunar Reactor-1 system could provide power for habitats, communications, instruments, rovers and other infrastructure during future lunar missions.

NASA also plans to continue using radioisotope power systems. The agency’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan, scheduled to launch in 2028, will use a radioisotope generator and heater units to power and warm its spacecraft. NASA and the Energy Department also plan to provide heater units for the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover.