Extraterrestrial strategy: How the U.S. could achieve energy dominance in space

Energy is fundamentally important — researchers have linked a lack of reliable energy to poor physical health, poor mental health and higher mortality rates. But when astronauts push the boundaries of space exploration, energy is a matter of life and death.

Finding dependable energy sources for the conditions in space presents a challenge that nuclear science and technology researchers are primed to solve.

Since the 1960s, spacecraft such as Voyager 1 and 2 and the Mars rovers have used radioisotope power systems — devices that use the decay heat of plutonium to generate reliable heat and electricity. While there are no fission-based nuclear reactors currently operating in space, NASA issued a directive on fission surface power and intends to place a reactor on the Moon in fiscal year 2030. To meet this objective, a report funded by the Idaho National Laboratory, Weighing the Future: Strategic Options for U.S. Space Nuclear Leadership, suggests several possible avenues for success.

Read more at Idaho National Laboratory