The White House has launched a coordinated federal initiative to deploy nuclear reactors in space, directing NASA and the Department of War (DOW) to run parallel design competitions for fission systems that could power lunar bases and in-space missions by the end of the decade, and tasking the Department of Energy (DOE) to support fuel supply, infrastructure, and technical development.
National Space Technology Memorandum‑3 (NSTM-3), issued April 14 by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), formally launches the National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power and sets near‑term timelines for low‑ to mid‑power space reactors in orbit and on the Moon, as well as a higher‑power system in the 2030s.
The memo gives NASA 30 days to initiate a program to develop a mid-power space reactor, including a lunar fission surface power variant targeted for launch by 2030 and an option for a space-based system to support a nuclear electric propulsion demonstration. In parallel, the DOE must, within 60 days, assess the readiness of the U.S. nuclear industrial base to produce up to four space reactors within five years and provide recommendations to address any gaps.
Artist’s concept of NASA’s planned lunar base, showing surface habitats, power and mobility systems that would support a sustained human presence at the Moon’s south pole. Source: NASA
Nuclear for Space: Years in the Making
The directive points to a growing urgency within the federal government to establish reliable, continuous power sources for lunar and deep-space missions, as well as to accelerate development timelines amid increasing commercial and national security interest in space-based nuclear systems.
Federal efforts to develop space-based nuclear power systems have been underway for years, but progress has been uneven. In 2020, NASA and the Department of Energy began formally pursuing a lunar fission surface power system, building on earlier Kilopower reactor demonstrations and decades of small-reactor research. As POWER reported at the time, the effort marked the start of a U.S. push to develop a reactor capable of supporting sustained operations on the Moon. More recently, renewed attention to lunar nuclear power—driven by Artemis mission planning, rising power demands, and intensifying global competition in space—has reinforced the role of fission systems as a long-duration, reliable energy source for off-world applications.
On Dec. 18, 2025, notably, the White House issued Executive Order 14369, “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” which directed the federal government to enable “near-term utilization of space nuclear power by deploying nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit, including a lunar surface reactor ready for launch by 2030.” The order called for Americans’ return to the Moon by 2028 and the establishment of initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030, and it explicitly tasked OSTP with coordinating a National Initiative for American