Space Reactor-1 Freedom

NASA will launch Space Reactor-1 Freedom, the first spacecraft to use a nuclear fission reactor for propulsion beyond Earth orbit. Targeting launch in late 2028, the mission will showcase American nuclear power operations in space, prove fission surface power technology for NASA’s Moon Base, and help enable future fuel-efficient spacecraft that will be capable of supporting ambitious science and human exploration missions to Mars and deep space.

The Space Reactor-1 Freedom spacecraft will demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion and deliver SkyFall, a science-driven demonstration payload, to the Red Planet. Flying a reactor first—without the added complexity of a lunar landing—reduces nuclear flight risk, stimulates and qualifies the supply chain, and builds the workforce needed for future space nuclear missions.

The results will inform and enable Lunar Reactor-1 (LR-1), a fission surface power system designed to keep the Moon Base operating through periods of darkness and in locations where solar power alone is not sufficient.

United States

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