For more than six decades, the United States has pursued the promise of nuclear power in space — a technology capable of delivering energy where sunlight can’t reach and enabling missions beyond the limits of chemical propulsion. Yet since a brief reactor flight in 1965, no fission reactor has operated in orbit.
Now, amid renewed competition from China and Russia, advancing reactor designs and emerging commercial interest, space nuclear power is at a crossroads. Advocates see it as essential for sustained lunar operations, crewed Mars missions, and national security in cislunar space. Critics warn of cost, complexity, and regulatory hurdles that have derailed past efforts.
In addition, NASA leadership has prioritized a nuclear reactor on the moon.
Join us Aug. 28 as we examine why the stakes are high, what’s changed in the past year and whether this time the technology can finally leave the launch pad.
Jeff Foust
Senior Staff Writer
SpaceNews
Bhavya Lal
Former Acting Chief Technologist and Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy,
NASA
Fred Kennedy
CEO And Co-Founder
Dark Fission Space Systems
TBA
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