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Fission Surface Power
Type: Research Program
Lead Organizations: NASA, U.S. Department of Energy
Status: Active Development
Target Deployment: Early 2030s
Domain: space-development
Overview
Fission Surface Power is a NASA-DOE collaborative program developing a 40kW nuclear fission reactor for lunar surface operations. The system is designed to provide continuous power for crew infrastructure, science operations, and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) during the 14-day lunar nights when solar power is unavailable.
Technical Specifications
- Power Output: 40 kilowatts continuous
- Mission Profile: 1-year demonstration + 9 operational years
- Primary Use Case: Enable sustained ISRU operations including water electrolysis for propellant production
- ISRU Capacity: At 10 kW per kg of oxygen production, the system could theoretically produce ~4 kg/hour of oxygen if fully dedicated to ISRU (actual operations would share power across multiple systems)
Strategic Context
The reactor addresses the fundamental power constraint for lunar surface operations. NASA's project documentation states that "continuous power at the kilowatt level will be imperative for future lunar users including crew infrastructure, future science, and in-situ resource utilization."
The program represents government-to-government cooperation with DOE's Nuclear Energy division providing technical and financial partnership, adding institutional weight beyond typical NASA announcements.
Timeline
- 2026-04-28 — NASA and DOE announce collaboration to develop 40kW fission surface power system targeting early 2030s lunar deployment
Related Programs
- Project Ignition (lunar surface architecture)
- VIPER/LUPEX (ice characterization missions)
- LIFT-1 extraction demonstration (unfunded)
Sources
- NASA Press Release, 2026-04-28
- NASA Fission Surface Power Project Page