NASA chief Jared Isaacman unveils nuclear-powered Mars, Moon missions

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman visited Idaho National Laboratory to detail a new nuclear‑powered roadmap for deep‑space exploration. The agency aims to launch the Space Reactor‑1 Freedom (SR‑1) to Mars by December 2028 and to place a compact nuclear reactor on a permanent lunar base by 2030, creating an “Apollo‑like” series of missions.

The plan involves close collaboration between NASA, the Department of Energy and private small‑modular‑reactor developers. At the INL press event, lab director John C. Wagner and company founders such as Bobby Gallagher of Deployable Energy demonstrated prototype reactors, while university students observed the progress. The initiative builds on recent U.S. policy to expand nuclear capacity, with five companies having achieved criticality under the administration’s executive orders.