NASA and the US Department of Energy have signed an agreement to work together on nuclear power and propulsion for space. NASA’s administrator called it the start of the “Nuclear NASA-era”, with a reactor for the Moon due to be ready by 2030.

NASA and the US Department of Energy have signed a new agreement to develop nuclear technologies for space, the space agency announced on Thursday, October 8.

The memorandum of understanding, titled “Accelerating American Leadership in Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion”, was signed in Washington by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. It takes effect on November 1.

What the Agreement Covers

According to NASA, the agreement establishes a framework for “end-to-end collaboration” between the two agencies. It spans advanced research and fuel production through to testing, launch integration and operations.

NASA said a commitment to safety remains “the central pillar” across all of that work.

‘Nuclear NASA-Era’

“We are entering the ‘Nuclear NASA-era,’ which represents a major transformation for space exploration,” Isaacman said.

“Nuclear power will allow us to go farther, operate longer, and field more capable spacecraft and instruments than ever before.”

Wright said the Energy Department was “proud to partner with NASA as we help American space missions reach uncharted territory”.

A Reactor for the Moon by 2030

The agreement supports a deadline already set by the White House. An executive order signed in December 2025 directs NASA to develop a launch-ready lunar surface reactor by 2030.

NASA described two programmes at the centre of the effort:

  • Space Reactor-1 Freedom (SR-1), due to launch in 2028, which NASA says will take nuclear propulsion from laboratory research to operational use in deep space
  • Lunar Reactor-1 (LR-1), a fission surface power system intended to sustain a future Moon base “through darkness and shadow”

NASA said nuclear power would supply habitats, communications, instruments and rovers on the Moon, and would be essential for the energy needs of future missions to Mars.

Smaller Nuclear Systems Too

Alongside fission reactors, NASA continues to use radioisotope power systems, which draw on the heat from radioactive decay.

The Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan, scheduled for launch in 2028, will rely on a radioisotope thermoelectric generator and 24 lightweight radioisotope heater units to power and warm the car-sized rotorcraft.

NASA and the Energy Department also plan to supply 24 similar heater units for the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover, to keep its instruments warm in the Martian cold.

Where It Was Signed

The signing took place during the “Science: A Golden Age Summit”, hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Image: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in December 2025. Photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.