Westinghouse Selected By NASA For Space Nuclear Design Project

Westinghouse Electric Company (ENS Corporate Member) has been selected by NASA, in partnership with Battelle Energy Alliance, contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL), to provide an initial design concept for a fission surface power system that could be ready to launch to the Moon by the end of the decade.

NASA and DOE selected three firms to prepare such design concepts to advance space nuclear technologies. The 12-month contracts will fund the development of initial design concepts for a 40-kilowatt class fission power system planned to last at least 10 years in the lunar environment.

Westinghouse has a rich history of delivering innovative nuclear technology that provides safe, clean and reliable carbon-free power to even the most remote communities, so we are honored to help create groundbreaking technology for outer space

said David Durham, President, Westinghouse Energy Systems.

Read the full Westinghouse Press Release.

The applications of nuclear technology extend beyond our planet too. Without it, space travel and exploration would be extremely difficult. It is used to generate power, but also for scientific observation purposes.