Nasa has chosen Westinghouse to continue the development of a space microreactor design for a fission reactor that could provide astronauts a reliable power supply for use on the Moon and beyond.
Westinghouse said the project, backed by the US Department of Energy through the federal Fission Surface Power (FSP) programme, will build on the successful design work Westinghouse has already completed on FSP systems.
The company said it aims to begin testing of critical technology elements.
“The continued progress under the FSP project can enable Nasa’s goal of a lunar demonstration within the next decade,” Westinghouse said in a statement.