Westinghouse To Continue Developing Space Microreactor Concept

Westinghouse Electric Company (ENS Corporate Member) announced that NASA, working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has selected the company to continue the development of a space microreactor design through the Fission Surface Power (FSP) project.

The FSP project is focused on developing concept designs for small, electricity-generating nuclear fission reactors that could provide astronauts with a reliable power supply for use on the moon and beyond.

This contract, awarded by Idaho National Laboratory (INL), will build on the successful design work Westinghouse completed during Phase 1 to optimize its contributions to the design of FSP systems and their configuration and begin testing critical technology elements.

Westinghouse appreciates the opportunity to continue demonstrating its leadership in designing microreactors for space and lunar exploration missions. This award reflects our close collaboration with NASA and the progress we’ve made on the FSP program that will enable a strategic capability for the Artemis mission.

said Richard Rademacher, President, Westinghouse Government Services.

Currently, NASA is working with DOE to design a fission power system that would provide up to 40 kilowatts of power – enough to continuously run 30 households for 10 years. A future lunar demonstration will pave the way for sustainable operations and base camps on the Moon and Mars.

Read the full Westinghouse Press Release.

On September 2022, the European Nuclear Society High Scientific Council launched its Position Paper “Nuclear Energy for Space Exploration“, which focuses on the crucial role of nuclear energy and on nuclear solutions for deep space exploration.

The Position Paper, highly appreciated by the scientific community, has been presented at a special event, organised in Brussels under the Czech EU Presidency and in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.

The event involved high-level stakeholders and experts, EU institutions, academia, research institutes, and space industry representatives.

“Nuclear Energy for Space Exploration” has been recorded and is available on ENS YouTube Channel.