"NASA has 30 days to kick off a program for a mid-power space reactor ready for launch by 2030. A lunar variant is required, as is an option for nuclear electric propulsion."
"The mid-power reactors will need to provide at least 20 kWe during 'at least' three years in orbit and five years on the lunar surface."
"The initiative calls on NASA to consider a low-power variant that could provide 1 kWe. The low-power option, according to the initiative, 'offers lower cost and schedule risk.'"
The US Office of Science and Technology Policy has outlined a plan for developing nuclear reactors in space, involving NASA and the Department of Defense. NASA must initiate a mid-power reactor program for launch by 2030, while the Department of Defense will analyze use cases for a reactor by 2031. The Department of Energy will assess the industrial base's readiness to produce reactors. The initiative aims for reactors to operate for extended periods in orbit and on the lunar surface, with options for low and mid-power variants.
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