spaceWhite House OSTPApr 17, 2026
Program Update
THE RESET
The Trump Administration terminated the DARPA/NASA DRACO nuclear thermal propulsion program in 2025, cancelling the $499M Lockheed Martin + BWXT contract. Three months later, the White House OSTP released a new National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power — shifting focus from nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) to nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) as the primary development track, with a lunar fission surface power variant as the near-term priority.
Mission Tracks
THREE ACTIVE PROGRAMS
TRACK 1 · NASA / DOE
ACTIVELUNAR FISSION SURFACE POWER
Near-term priority under the April 14, 2026 OSTP directive. NASA directed to initiate the program within 30 days. Mid-power space reactor with lunar variant as the first deployment target. 2030 target timeline.
2030
TRACK 2 · NASA / DARPA
IN DEVELOPMENTNUCLEAR ELECTRIC PROPULSION
Replaced NTP/DRACO as the primary propulsion development track under the new OSTP initiative. Uses nuclear-generated electricity to power ion or Hall-effect thrusters for cislunar and deep-space missions. New contracts not yet awarded.
2028+ CONTRACTS PENDING
TRACK 3 · DOD / AFRL / USSF
CLASSIFIEDDOD SPACE SUPERIORITY
DARPA exploring a new nuclear electric program for orbital operations. Air Force Research Laboratory JETSON program — contracted to Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse Government Services, and Intuitive Machines — targets persistent nuclear power for USSF space domain awareness. Full scope classified.
TARGET: 2031 · JETSON PROGRAM ACTIVE
Key Players
WHO IS IN THIS RACE
NASA
Lunar fission surface power program lead · directed April 14, 2026
DARPA
Exploring new nuclear electric propulsion program post-DRACO
DOE / INL
Reactor design authority · fuel supply · historical Kilopower work
DoD / USSF
Space domain awareness power requirements · classified programs
BWXT
Space fuel fabrication · $1.5B NNSA centrifuge enrichment contract
Lockheed Martin
JETSON program · space nuclear systems integration
Westinghouse Govt Services
JETSON program awardee · space reactor systems
Intuitive Machines
JETSON program · lunar surface delivery and power systems
Air Force Research Lab
JETSON program sponsor · nuclear electric propulsion for USSF
Critical Path
THE HALEU PROBLEM
Space nuclear programs face the same fuel bottleneck as terrestrial advanced reactors: High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) at 19.75% enrichment. The US currently has no commercial HALEU supply chain at scale. Without domestic enrichment, the entire Space Nuclear Circuit depends on the same choke point as the DOE Pilot companies.
BWXT received a separate $1.5B NNSA contract for domestic uranium enrichment centrifuge capacity — directly supporting both the space program and the terrestrial advanced reactor fuel supply chain. This is the most significant domestic enrichment investment in decades.
Regulatory Note
NOT NRC JURISDICTION
Space nuclear systems are regulated under the Atomic Energy Act and authorized by the Department of Energy — not the NRC. Presidential authorization is required for each launch under existing interagency review processes (INSRP).
This is a strategic advantage: the space program moves on DOE/DoD timelines, not the multi-decade NRC licensing track. The regulatory clock is faster — but the political and safety review is no less rigorous.
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