Lunar Nuclear Power Proposals Sought
NASA and the Department of Energy are looking for proposals for a lunar nuclear power system that will provide electricity to future astronauts on the Moon.
“Plentiful energy will be key to future space exploration. I expect fission surface power systems to greatly benefit our plans for power architectures for the moon and Mars and even drive innovation for uses here on Earth.”
Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C., which funds NASA’s fission surface power project.
The Fission Surface Power (FSP) program is being administered by Battelle Energy Alliance, a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, and NASA. They are seeking proposals from nuclear and space industry leaders to develop innovative technologies for lunar nuclear power applications. Proposals are due by Feb. 19, 2022.
The FSP project is sponsored by NASA in collaboration with the Department of the Energy and INL to establish a durable, high-power, sun-independent power source for NASA missions on the moon by the end of the decade, as well as potential subsequent missions. The proposal request targets the initial system design.
A draft of the lunar nuclear power request for proposal has received significant interest from industry. “The feedback and enthusiasm we continue to see for space nuclear power systems has been very exciting, and understandably so. Providing a reliable, high-power system on the moon is a vital next step in human space exploration, and achieving it is within our grasp.” said Sebastian Corbisiero, the Fission Surface Power Project lead at INL.
“Plentiful energy will be key to future space exploration,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C., which funds NASA’s fission surface power project. “I expect fission surface power systems to greatly benefit our plans for power architectures for the moon and Mars and even drive innovation for uses here on Earth.”
A small, lightweight fission surface power system could provide up to 10 kilowatts of electrical power – enough to run several average households – continuously for at least 10 years. Four 10-kilowatt units could provide enough juice to power 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 DOE and industry to design a 10-kilowatt fission power system for the Moon. A future lunar demonstration will pave the way for sustainable operations and even base camps on the Moon and Mars.
(Source: Idaho National Laboratory news release. Images and additional information provided by NASA)