NASA has signed contracts worth $15 million for three previous 40 kW nuclear reactor projects to be tested on the lunar surface by 2030. All for uninterrupted power supply of moon bases.

Energy supply is a critical issue if NASA is to achieve its goal – the constant presence of man on the moon and the flight of a crew to Mars.

The problem with building a lunar base is that it is very expensive to send equipment to the surface of the moon: the delivery cost is estimated at $100,000 per 0.45kg of cargo. Worst of all, the base will have to withstand 14 days of the day when the temperature reaches 120 ° C, and 14 days of the night when it drops to -130 ° C.

The most practical option in such cases is a very compact energy source using fuel that is relatively light and has an extremely high energy density. In other words, nuclear.

The Fission Surface Power project, which was contracted with the Idaho National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy, was awarded to Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and IX and their partner companies to develop their nuclear reactor projects in the first month. The duration of the first phase of contracts is 12 months.