Trump Orders Pentagon Pete to Send Nuclear Reactors to Space

Key Points:

• The White House has directed NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Pentagon to compete in designing nuclear reactors for deployment in lunar orbit by 2028 and on the moon's surface by 2030, aiming to advance space exploration and defense capabilities.
• The initiative seeks to establish the technological viability of low- to mid-power space nuclear reactors, which NASA leadership views as critical for future human missions to Mars.
• The memo emphasizes U.S. leadership in space nuclear power for exploration, commerce, and defense, encouraging partnerships with private-sector innovators to achieve these near-term goals.
• Experts note that nuclear reactors in space could power data centers, mission-critical systems, and strategic defense technologies, but caution that the proposed timeline is highly ambitious given current technical challenges.
• President Trump expressed reluctance to commit to beating China back to the moon during a recent interview, despite praising NASA chief Jared Isaacman’s leadership on the project.