The U.S. Department of Energy conditionally allocates HALEU fuel to NASA and Radiant.

On July 23, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a conditional commitment to provide High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to NASA and Radiant Industries to meet near-term fuel needs. This marks the third round of HALEU allocations; the material will support NASA’s SR-1 "Freedom" Mars exploration mission and Radiant’s deployment of a micro-reactor at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado.

Ted Garrish, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, stated that this allocation underscores the importance of advanced nuclear reactor fuel for space exploration and national security missions. Through its HALEU Availability Program, the DOE is fostering domestic nuclear fuel supply capabilities to support the development of advanced nuclear energy technologies.

HALEU is a critical fuel material for many advanced reactors, enabling smaller reactor sizes, longer operating cycles, and higher operational efficiency. As domestic suppliers currently cannot provide this material, the DOE established an application process allowing nuclear technology developers to request HALEU from DOE resources, including those held by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

According to records, the DOE announced the first batch of HALEU allocations to five companies in April 2025; in August of the same year, it made conditional supply commitments to three additional companies based on project priority criteria. In this latest round, NASA received a HALEU supply commitment for the first time, while Radiant Industries secured the material for the second time, having previously obtained HALEU to support the operation of its Kaleidos demonstration reactor.

Moving forward, the DOE will initiate the contract allocation process with NASA and Radiant Industries. The HALEU supply program remains ongoing, and the DOE plans to continue allocating the material to other agencies or companies in the future.