Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site
ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite adds power to forecasts
-
Similar Topics
-
By NASA
Credit: NASA
As part of the agency’s initiative to return humanity to the Moon and eventually send the first astronaut – an American – to Mars, NASA is surveying industry for interest and feedback on a fission surface power system, through a Request for Information issued Thursday.
Earlier this month, NASA declared its intent to put a nuclear reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s to support lunar exploration, provide power generation on Mars, and strengthen national security in space.
“Today’s call for industry input is an important step toward engaging the commercial space industry in powering the lunar economy and enabling future human exploration on Mars,” said Steve Sinacore, Fission Surface Power program executive at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “Developing a safe, reliable, and efficient power supply is key to unlocking the future of human space exploration and ensuring America retains its dominance in space.”
Building on its previous work, NASA will work with industry to design a fission surface power system that would provide at least 100 kilowatts of electrical power, have a mass allocation of less than 15 metric tons, and use a closed Brayton cycle power conversion system, which converts heat to electricity.
NASA’s new Fission Surface Power effort builds on more than 60 years of agency experience in exploration technology. In 2022, NASA awarded three contracts for fission surface power system concepts for the Moon. In addition, NASA has used nuclear power sources in spacecraft and rovers over the years.
The size, weight, and power capability of fission systems make them an effective continuous power supply regardless of location. Additionally, a nuclear reactor could be placed in lunar regions where sunlight cannot reach and could sustain nights on the Moon which can last more than 14 Earth days near the poles.
Nuclear power is a key element for NASA’s Artemis missions and supporting a robust lunar economy. The Request for Information invites innovators to contribute to this effort, allowing NASA to access industry expertise and bolstering American ingenuity.
Responses to the Request for Information are due Thursday, Aug. 21, and could be used to finalize a potential opportunity later this year.
The Fission Surface Power effort is managed through NASA Glenn. The power system development is funded by the agency’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Moon to Mars Program.
Share
Details
Last Updated Aug 14, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Glenn Research Center Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Fission Surface Power View the full article
-
By European Space Agency
Image: The development of ESA’s Earth Explorer FLEX mission has recently passed a significant milestone: the mission’s all-important instrument has been joined to its satellite platform. View the full article
-
By NASA
Technicians at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida conduct illumination testing on Friday, July 18, 2025, by flashing a bright light that simulates the Sun into the two-panel solar array that will help power the agency’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) observatory on its upcoming journey to a destination about one million miles away from Earth Lagrange Point 1.Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett NASA invites media to view the agency’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) spacecraft and two other missions — the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On–Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory, which will launch along with IMAP as rideshares.
Media will have the opportunity to photograph the three spacecraft and speak with subject matter experts representing all three missions. The event will take place on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Astrotech Space Operations payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida. Confirmed media will receive additional details after registering.
To participate in the event, media must RSVP by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 19, by submitting their request online at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov.
The IMAP mission will study the heliosphere, a vast magnetic bubble created by the Sun that protects our solar system from radiation incoming from interstellar space. Carruthers will use its ultraviolet cameras to monitor how material from the Sun impacts the outermost part of Earth’s atmosphere. The SWFO-L1 mission will observe solar eruptions, and monitor incoming space weather 24/7, providing early warnings and validating forecasts that protect vital communication and navigation infrastructure, economic interests, and national security, both on Earth and in space.
NASA is targeting no earlier than September for the launch of these three missions on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
Facility Access
Due to spacecraft cleanliness requirements, this invitation is open to a limited number of media with no more than two individuals per media organization. This event is open to U.S. citizens who possess a valid government-issued photo identification and proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate.
Media attending this event must comply with cleanroom guidelines. This includes wearing specific cleanroom garments; avoiding cologne, cosmetics, and high-heeled shoes; cleaning camera equipment under the supervision or assistance of contamination control specialists; and placing all electronics in airplane mode in the designated areas near the spacecraft. NASA will provide detailed guidance to approved media.
Observatories Information
The three observatories are preparing to launch to Lagrange point 1, which lies about a million miles from Earth toward the Sun. There, they will orbit this gravitational balance point, holding a steady position between Earth and the Sun. NASA’s IMAP will use its 10 instruments to map the heliosphere’s edge and reveal how the Sun accelerates charged particles, filling in essential puzzle pieces to understand the space weather environment across the solar system. The mission’s varied instruments also will provide near real-time space weather data to scientists on Earth.
The Carruthers observatory will image the glow of ultraviolet light emitted by the uppermost parts of Earth’s atmosphere — called the geocorona — to help researchers understand how our planet’s atmosphere is shaped by conditions in space. NOAA’s SWFO-L1 will use its suite of instruments to sample the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field, while its onboard coronagraph will detect coronal mass ejections and other solar events. Together, these real-time observations of space weather enable precautionary actions to protect satellites, power grids, aviation, and communication and navigation technology.
Learn more about NASA’s IMAP at:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/imap/
-end-
Abbey Interrante
Headquarters, Washington
301-201-0124
abbey.a.interrante@nasa.gov
Sarah Frazier
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
202-853-7191
sarah.frazier@nasa.gov
Leejay Lockhart
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov
Share
Details
Last Updated Aug 08, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
NASA Headquarters Carruthers Geocorona Observatory (GLIDE) Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Heliophysics Division IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) Kennedy Space Center Space Weather The Sun View the full article
-
By Space Force
The Space RCO hosted an Agile Satellite Industry Engagement Day, bringing together 13 prospective industry partners for technical discussions aimed at advancing next-generation satellite design and procurement.
View the full article
-
By Space Force
The Space RCO hosted an Agile Satellite Industry Engagement Day, bringing together 13 prospective industry partners for technical discussions aimed at advancing next-generation satellite design and procurement.
View the full article
-
-
Check out these Videos
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.