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Fission Surface Power

Rendering of Kilopower on surface of the moon

Unless disrupted by storms or grid problems, electrical power for most people is no further than an outlet away. However, the solar system does not provide easy access to electricity as we know it on Earth. Astronauts could take advantage of a reliable power supply to explore both the Moon and Mars. The system will need to be lightweight and capable of running regardless of its location, the weather, or available sunlight and other natural resources.

Relatively small and lightweight, fission systems are powerful and could enable robust operations on the Moon and Mars.

NASA’s fission surface power project expands on the efforts of the agency’s Kilopower project, which ended in 2018. Currently, NASA is working with the Department of Energy (DOE) and industry to design a fission power system that would provide at least 40 kilowatts of power – enough to continuously run 30 households for ten years. A future lunar demonstration will pave the way for sustainable operations and even base camps on the Moon and Mars.

Fission Surface Power News

At the bottom of this image is the Moon’s surface, and the top containing black space with stars. In the top, left corner of the image is an atom – the 3 electron ellipses are colors of blue, green, and purple, and at varying places on the ellipses there are whitish-yellow bursts of light symbolizing electrons. The center of the atom has a whitish-yellow burst of light representing the nucleus. There are also purple-colored swirls in and around the atom representing lots of energy. In the top right area of the image is Mars. On the Moon’s surface there is a deployed Fission Surface Power (FSP) system. The largest FSP element is in the center foreground of the image in the bottom of a crater – it has a very tall radiator extending vertical up into space. There is a long cable connecting that element to the second element which is further in the distance, then there is another very, long cable connecting the second element to a habitat that is far off into the distance. And finally, there is a space nuclear propulsion system that appears to be zipping across the Moon’s horizon on its way to Mars. The image also contains embedded text containing the workshop name, theme, dates, and location that are duplicated on the event page content.

NASA Fission Instrumentation and Controls Workshop

A concept image of the Fission Surface Power Project on the lunar surface. Earth and Mars can be seen in the background. The lunar surface is grey and rocky.

NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project Energizes Lunar Exploration

Illustration of fission system on surface of Mars.

Fission System to Power Exploration on the Moon’s Surface and Beyond

Illustration of a spacecraft with a nuclear-enabled propulsion system.

6 Technologies NASA is Advancing to Send Humans to Mars

Artist's concept of a fission power system on the lunar surface.

Demonstration Proves Nuclear Fission System Can Provide Space Exploration Power

A rendering of the kilopower mission

Kilopower

Milestones:

  • NASA and DOE selected three design concept proposals in June 2022 for a fission surface power system design that could be ready to launch by the end of the decade for a demonstration on the Moon. This technology would benefit future exploration under the Artemis umbrella.
  • In 2021, in partnership with NASA, the DOE issued a Request for Proposal asking American companies for design concepts for a fission surface power system that could be ready to launch within a decade for a demonstration on the Moon.
  • A 2016 memorandum of understanding between NASA and DOE serves as the basis of this inter-agency work. An October 2020 NASA-DOE memorandum of understanding expands on it, establishing working groups that focus on space nuclear power and propulsion.
  • A DOE reactor study completed in March 2020 identified low-enriched uranium reactor solutions roughly the same weight as the high-enriched system.
  • NASA and DOE conducted an experiment to demonstrate heat transfer technologies using highly enriched uranium fuel in May 2018. The Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) experiment showed that the system performed as expected under both normal and off-normal conditions.
Rendering of moon surface with a lander and energy panel on it.
Fission Surface Power – NASA plans a sustained presence on the Moon under Artemis and eventually Mars. Safe, efficient, reliable energy will be key to future robotic and human exploration.

Fast facts:

  • Fission surface power can provide abundant and continuous power regardless of environmental conditions on the Moon and Mars.
  • NASA plans to demonstrate and use a fission surface power system on the Moon first, then Mars.
  • NASA is collaborating with DOE and industry to design, fabricate, and test a 40-kilowatt class fission power system to operate on the Moon by the early 2030s.
  • NASA’s fission surface power project builds on heritage projects spanning 50 years, including SNAP-10A, NASA’s Kilopower project, and recent developments in commercial nuclear power and fuel technology.

Partners:

NASA’s fission surface power project is managed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The technology development and demonstration are funded by the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Technology Demonstration Missions program, which is located at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

NASA is partnered with DOE and its national laboratories on the fission surface power project. The space agency will define the mission and system requirements.