Idaho National Laboratory: Battelle Energy Alliance and NASA take next step in search for industry partners to design nuclear power system for moon

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), the managing and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and NASA are seeking feedback from leaders in the nuclear and space industries to develop innovative technologies for a fission surface power (FSP) system that can be operated on the moon. Following up on the request for information issued in July, BEA released a draft request for proposal (RFP) to solicit industry feedback to inform a final RFP that will be released in February. The draft RFP can be viewed here. Responses are sought by Jan. 22, 2021.

Sponsored by NASA in collaboration with the DOE and INL, the draft RFP provides the first phase of technical requirements and work products for an FSP system that can be built, tested, and deployed on the moon and potentially used for subsequent missions.

“Idaho National Laboratory is the nation’s leader in nuclear innovation. By partnering with the private sector to develop a first-of-kind lunar nuclear reactor, the government is advancing the United States’ leadership in both space exploration and advanced nuclear technology,” said Sebastian Corbisiero, senior technical adviser leading the FSP project for INL’s Nuclear Science & Technology Directorate.