NASA is advancing lunar exploration with its Fission Surface Power (FSP) project, a key initiative to establish a reliable nuclear energy source for sustained human presence on the Moon. This project builds on decades of experience, including the Kilopower project, and is set to transform off-world habitation and operations. In January 2025, Westinghouse Electric Company secured a contract from NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to further develop a space microreactor design. This contract marks a significant step in the FSP project, which aims to create compact, electricity-generating nuclear fission reactors. These reactors are designed to provide astronauts with a dependable power supply, crucial for long-duration missions and for operating in areas with inconsistent solar power, such as during extended lunar nights or in permanently shadowed regions.
In June 2022, NASA and the DOE selected three industry partners—Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse, and IX—to develop initial designs for the FSP system. Each received contracts valued at approximately $5 million to lay the groundwork for future project phases and a planned lunar demonstration mission. The FSP system is engineered to deliver a minimum of 40 kilowatts of electrical power, sufficient to power roughly 30 households continuously for a decade, which is vital for supporting the complex needs of lunar bases and future missions to Mars. NASA's FSP project draws from a history of space nuclear power development, including the SNAP-10A program and the more recent Kilopower project, which concluded in 2018. The Kilopower project, initiated in 2015, successfully demonstrated a flight-prototypic nuclear reactor, laying crucial groundwork for current advancements. As of August 2025, NASA continues its collaboration with industry partners to refine the FSP system’s design, with the project remaining on schedule for a lunar demonstration mission in the early 2030s. This milestone is anticipated to unlock new frontiers in space exploration and establish a sustainable human presence beyond Earth.