NASA to take nuclear energy to space by 2028 amid Moon base plans

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced a series of initiatives aimed at achieving the United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump’s National Space Policy.

One of the key initiatives announced by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was to shift focus from conventional energy sources to nuclear power and propulsion.

In a press release on March 24, 2026, the space agency said that it is striving to advance American leadership in space, adding, “We plan to bring nuclear power and propulsion from the lab to space.”

The agency announced plans to launch the first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft, Space Reactor-1 Freedom to Mars before 2028. NASA hopes to enable high-power missions beyond Jupiter with the help of nuclear propulsion.

The agency plans to deploy Ingenuity-class helicopters on the Red Planet with the help of SR-1 Freedom, which will help enhance its Mars exploration capability.

NASA said: “SR-1 Freedom will establish flight heritage nuclear hardware, set regulatory and launch precedent, and activate the industrial base for future fission power systems across propulsion, surface, and long‑duration missions."

It announced to hire subject-matter experts and embed them in the agency's operations to achieve the right outcomes highlighted in the National Space Policy.

This comes after NASA ditched its Lunar Gateway plans and announced plans to build a $20 billion base on the Moon’s surface.