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Keyword：NASA
US Advances Development of Nuclear-Powered Lunar Rover and Awards Transportation Contract
Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to advance the development of the nuclear-powered lunar rover PROMISE and awarded a lunar surface transportation contract to Blue Origin. Blue Origin will use the Mark 1 lander to deliver the six-wheeled rover to the lunar south pole and complete its deployment. The base contract value is $94 million, with an additional contract option worth $140 million contingent on performance. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is responsible for the rover's overall development, and will modify the chassis, electronics, and drive systems based on the engineering test platform of the Curiosity Mars rover, and integrate spare parts and test components from the Curiosity and Perseverance...
2026-11-09
NASA's SR-1 Freedom deep-space nuclear reactor progresses smoothly, planned to set sail in 2028
Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that its Space Reactor-1 (SR-1) Freedom has achieved a key breakthrough in the development of nuclear power modules and has reached an important contract consensus with partners. The reactor will become the first spacecraft to demonstrate nuclear fission power beyond Earth orbit, with launch planned for late 2028 en route to Mars. It is understood that Sierra Lobo will provide the closed Brayton cycle power conversion system for SR-1 Freedom, responsible for converting the thermal energy generated by the fission reactor into electricity to drive the nuclear electric propulsion system. The power conversion system will be deeply integrated with the fission reactor designed and developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory (Idaho National Lab...
2026-10-21
NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Accelerate Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion Technologies
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) formally signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a summit hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), establishing a comprehensive framework for cooperation between the two parties in the fields of space nuclear power and nuclear propulsion systems, aimed at replacing and revising two previously reached related agreements. The memorandum is titled "Accelerating American Leadership in Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion,"...
2026-10-18
NASA and U.S. Department of Energy Sign Memorandum of Understanding: Opening a New Era in Space Nuclear Energy Exploration
According to reports, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 8, 2026, at the Golden Age Summit held at the Donald J. Trump Institute for Peace in Washington, D.C., to advance new nuclear technologies for space exploration. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Energy Secretary Chris Wright attended the signing ceremony. It is understood that the memorandum aims to strengthen the two agencies' cooperation in nuclear technology development...
2026-10-09
NASA Seeks Proposals for Radioisotope Power and Other Technologies for Lunar Missions
On September 8, 2026, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) issued a solicitation seeking proposals for critical technologies and infrastructure for lunar exploration, with near-term focus on supporting the construction of a lunar base in the lunar south pole region. This solicitation is included under Appendix A of the NextSTEP-3 Broad Agency Announcement, the Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator framework, and covers five technology areas: vertical solar arrays, lunar regolith oxygen extraction, radioisotope power, advanced space manufacturing, and innovative nanomaterial production. NASA stated that these capabilities will be used to address the power generation, resource utilization, materials...
2026-09-13
NASA's Chandra Telescope Discovers 84 Mysterious Supersoft X-ray Sources
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory recently announced that researchers using the observatory's publicly available observation data discovered 84 mysterious celestial objects known as supersoft X-ray sources in 6 galaxies. The related research was published in Nature Astronomy. Image credit: X-ray: NASA. These objects emit X-rays with unusually low energy and may be accompanied by strong high-energy ultraviolet radiation. The research team stated that the behavior of these objects is clearly different from previously observed known celestial bodies and may provide new clues for explaining the origin of Type Ia supernovae and the electron-stripping mechanism in the intergalactic medium. The 6 galaxies covered by this search include two spiral...
2026-09-10
U.S. Plans to Launch Nuclear Fission-Powered Spacecraft to Fly by Mars by End of 2028
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is advancing the Space Reactor-1 "Freedom" (SR-1 Freedom) mission, with the goal of launching a nuclear fission-powered spacecraft by the end of 2028 to validate deep-space nuclear electric propulsion technology. According to existing mission documentation, the mission plans to fly by Mars in 2029 and deploy the SkyFall payload. The SR-1 Freedom is neither a fusion spacecraft nor a crewed Mars vehicle. Its core experiment is to operate a small uranium fission reactor, an energy conversion system, and Hall-effect thrusters in coordination beyond Earth orbit, accumulating engineering data for future higher-power deep-space missions...
2026-08-24
South Korea's domestically developed lunar radiation detector to travel to the Moon aboard NASA commercial lunar lander
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced on August 17 that the Lunar Space Radiation Detector (LVRAD), independently developed by South Korea, will be mounted on a lander under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to conduct observations of the radiation environment on the lunar south pole surface. The two sides signed the relevant implementation agreement on August 14. Under the agreement, KASA plans to complete the development of the flight model of the detector by next year and deliver the equipment to the United States in accordance with the NASA lunar lander mission schedule. NASA will be responsible for integrating the Korean-developed detector onto the commercial lunar lander and supporting its operation and data transmission on the lunar surface after launch. LVRAD consists of...
2026-08-17
U.S. Company Proposes Americium-241 Radioisotope Heating Solution for Spacesuits, Receives Early NASA Research Support
U.S.-based Zeno Power Systems has proposed a radioisotope heating concept for lunar extravehicular activities, planning to use Americium-241 (Am-241) to provide continuous passive warmth for astronauts during lunar nights and in permanently shadowed regions. The proposal has been selected for this year's NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, with the potential to receive up to $175,000 in early-stage research funding. The lunar surface environment is one of the key challenges for long-duration crewed missions. Data shows that lunar nights can last approximately two weeks, and extreme low temperatures will limit the duration of astronaut extravehicular activities in shadowed areas and at night. Even with new-generation spacesuits, their cold resistance remains limited...
2026-08-13
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 materia
2026-07-27
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 materia
2026-07-27