Introduction

The United States is pursuing an expanded and sustained presence beyond low Earth orbit, with near-term objectives focused on the Moon and longer-term ambitions extending to Mars. Achieving these objectives will require reliable, resilient power systems capable of supporting continuous operations in extreme and remote environments. Surface power is widely recognized as a foundational capability for enabling long-duration missions, permanent or semi-permanent infrastructure, and scalable exploration architectures. NASA, led by commercial and international partners, is advancing programs intended to transition space exploration from short-duration missions to sustained surface operations. As these efforts progress, there is growing emphasis on technologies that can operate independently of intermittent energy sources, reduce operational risk, and support a broad range of surface activities. Fission-based surface power systems represent the most scalable power solution to meet these needs. Nano Nuclear Energy (“Nano”) is a U.S. nuclear technology developer focused on advanced microreactor systems and deployable fission solutions for terrestrial and space applications. Nano is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to identify capabilities, experience, and positioning of relevant organizations that may support technology development, demonstration, integration, and maturation activities related to solutions enabling and to commercialization and adoption of surface fission power. The objective of this RFI is to help shape Nano’s planning and partnership strategy by identifying organizations with enabling capabilities across areas such as systems integration, testing and qualification, manufacturing, deployment, and operations. Responses to this RFI are voluntary and will be used for informational and planning purposes only.

Background

1) National Policy and Strategic Context

The United States is entering a renewed phase of sustained space exploration characterized by long-duration missions, permanent or semi-permanent surface infrastructure, and increased geopolitical and commercial competition in cislunar space and beyond. Recent U.S. policy direction has elevated space as a strategic domain and emphasized the importance of advanced capabilities that enable endurance, resilience, and operational autonomy in environments where conventional energy sources are insufficient.

In December 2020, the United States issued the National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion (Space Policy Directive-6), which identifies space nuclear power systems as critical enablers for missions requiring continuous, reliable power independent of solar availability. The strategy emphasizes safe and secure development, interagency coordination among NASA, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the importance of leveraging commercial and industrial capabilities to accelerate progress while managing technical and programmatic risk.

In parallel, U.S. executive and legislative actions have increasingly emphasized restoring and strengthening the domestic nuclear industrial base, including advanced reactor technologies and associated fuel supply chains. These efforts explicitly recognize the strategic importance of small and microreactor systems, the availability of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), and the need for demonstration pathways that bridge laboratory development and operational deployment.

2) NASA Exploration Objectives and Surface Infrastructure Needs

NASA’s Artemis program is designed to enable a sustained human presence on the Moon as a foundation for future crewed missions to Mars. Unlike prior short-duration exploration efforts, Artemis emphasizes infrastructure, logistics, and surface systems capable of operating continuously across lunar day-night cycles and extreme environmental conditions. Within this architecture, surface power is widely recognized as a foundational capability enabling habitation, communications, mobility, scientific operations, and in-situ resource utilization.

Recent years have seen an increasing cadence of lunar missions led by NASA, international partners, and commercial entities. While these missions vary in scope and maturity, collectively they highlight both the opportunity and complexity of operating on the lunar surface. The cumulative experience reinforces the importance of robust, fault-tolerant infrastructure that minimizes reliance on intermittent energy sources, reduces crew and operational risk, and supports scalable growth over time.

3) Fission Surface Power Program Context and Industry Engagement

In response to these needs, NASA, working in coordination with DOE and industry, has advanced the Fission Surface Power (FSP) project to mature and demonstrate a surface fission system capable of providing continuous electrical power over multi-year mission durations. Public NASA materials describe FSP as a reactor-based power system intended to support sustained lunar surface operations while informing future Mars applications.

The FSP project introduces system-level considerations that extend beyond reactor physics alone. These include transportability and lander compatibility, radiation management and separation distances, autonomous operations, thermal management, power conversion, integration with surface users, and qualification in relevant environments. As such, FSP inherently spans multiple technical and industrial domains, necessitating coordinated participation across nuclear technology, space systems, manufacturing, testing, and operations.

Recent leadership statements and executive actions further reinforce an emphasis on urgency, execution speed, and sustained infrastructure. Following his confirmation in December 2025, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman publicly emphasized the need to accelerate Artemis and related programs, reduce bureaucratic friction, and deepen engagement with commercial and international partners. These priorities align with a December 18 executive order titled “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” which calls for a human return to the lunar surface by 2028 and the establishment of initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030, while reaffirming development of a FSP system as part of the long-term lunar architecture.

Together, these programmatic and leadership signals underscore the importance of early demonstration, integration, and risk-reduction activities for surface fission power. The development and deployment of such systems require capabilities spanning technology maturation, testing and qualification, manufacturing, integration, deployment, and operations. These capabilities are distributed across industry, national laboratories, and government partners. Understanding the current landscape of potential collaborators is therefore a necessary step in informing future programmatic decisions and accelerating progress toward sustained surface power deployment.

Information Requested

Respondents are requested to provide concise, factual responses to the information requests below. Responses should focus on demonstrated capabilities, relevant experience, and potential areas of alignment with surface fission power demonstration and deployment activities. Marketing materials may be included as appendices but should not substitute for direct responses.

At a minimum, respondents should meet the following criteria:

a) Be a legally recognized entity authorized to conduct business in the United States or with the U.S. Government.

b) Demonstrate experience relevant to one or more of the following areas:

I. Space systems, surface infrastructure, or lunar-relevant technologies

II. Nuclear, nuclear-adjacent, or high-consequence engineered systems

III. Complex system integration, testing, qualification, or operations

IV. Manufacturing capabilities in support of any of the preceding three categories

c) Possess the organizational, technical, and financial capacity to support multi-year technology development or demonstration activities. d) Compliant with applicable U.S. laws and regulations, including export control, safety, and security requirements.