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| Kilopower | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kilopower |
| Developer | National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA Glenn Research Center Ames Research Center Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| First demo | 2018 |
| Status | Experimental |
| Fuel | Uranium-235 |
| Power output | 1–10 kilowatt-electric (kWe) |
| Type | Fission reactor |
| Applications | Spacecraft power, Artemis program |
Kilopower Kilopower is an experimental small fission reactor concept developed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory engineers and personnel from Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The project produced a series of ground demonstrations aimed at supplying reliable, long-duration power for NASA missions such as Artemis program lunar operations, Mars surface habitats, and deep-space platforms near Jupiter or Saturn. Kilopower work informed later studies by Department of Energy offices, Applied Physics Laboratory, and contractors supporting United States Space Force infrastructure planning.
Kilopower is a compact, heatpipe-cooled, sodium-bonded fast reactor concept that uses high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel and a Stirling engine or thermoelectric converter to produce 1–10 kilowatts-electric. The program combined expertise from Glenn Research Center, Ames Research Center, and Los Alamos National Laboratory with industrial partners like Northrop Grumman, General Atomics, and Raytheon Technologies affiliates to address power needs for Artemis program lunar bases, Mars missions, and science platforms in cislunar space. Kilopower design studies influenced advisory groups at National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and coordinated with regulatory stakeholders such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for terrestrial analog assessments.
The Kilopower initiative traces to early 2010s feasibility studies by NASA and Department of Energy laboratories responding to power gaps identified in Constellation program-era analyses and later in Journey to Mars planning. Formal development accelerated under joint agreements with Los Alamos National Laboratory and contractors including Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Prototype assembly and testing were conducted at Sandia National Laboratories and Nevada National Security Site facilities, while program reviews involved panels from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and international partners such as European Space Agency observers. Demonstrations culminating in 2018 provided data used by NASA leadership, White House science advisors, and planning teams supporting Artemis program architecture decisions.
Kilopower employs a uranium core surrounded by a beryllium reflector and uses sodium heat pipes to transfer thermal energy to linear Stirling engines or thermoelectric converters manufactured by industrial partners like Sunpower-type suppliers and Stirling Technology Company affiliates. Materials research for Kilopower involved collaborations with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to address fuel metallurgy, refractory alloys, and neutron reflector performance. Thermal-hydraulic modeling used codes validated against experiments at Los Alamos National Laboratory and verification studies published with input from Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty and California Institute of Technology researchers. Systems engineering reviews included contributions from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Aerospace Corporation analysts.
The KRUSTY (Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology) ground test series was executed at Nevada National Security Site under oversight from Sandia National Laboratories and produced sustained operation demonstrating passive heat removal and control under simulated lunar conditions. Test instrumentation and telemetry systems were developed with help from Langley Research Center and Ames Research Center teams; test results were evaluated by panels including staff from Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and NASA headquarters. Peer reviews involved academics from Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of California, Berkeley who compared performance against heritage systems like radioisotope thermoelectric generators used on Voyager and Cassini–Huygens missions.
Kilopower targets sustained surface power for Artemis program lunar outposts, Mars surface missions, and power-hungry scientific observatories near Jupiter or in cislunar space. Proposed applications span life-support systems developed by teams at Johnson Space Center, ISRU (in-situ resource utilization) demonstrations involving ISRU contractors, and electric propulsion charging infrastructure considered by NASA and Air Force Research Laboratory planners. International collaboration potential was discussed with representatives from European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency during working groups.
Kilopower safety analyses incorporated lessons from terrestrial compact reactor programs at Argonne National Laboratory and regulatory frameworks referenced by Nuclear Regulatory Commission advisory committees. Shielding concepts evaluated materials such as lithium hydride and tungsten studied with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory input to protect crews aboard habitats analogous to designs from Johnson Space Center and European Space Agency habitat concepts. Contingency planning involved coordination with United States Department of Energy emergency response units and facility safety offices at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories.
Post-demonstration roadmap discussions engaged stakeholders at NASA headquarters, Department of Energy offices, and international agencies including European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to evaluate flight qualification, regulatory approvals, and integration with Artemis program architecture. Industrialization would involve contractors such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and supply-chain partners around Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory. Potential flight deployments are contingent on policy decisions by the White House and program funding from United States Congress appropriations supporting NASA and Department of Energy joint initiatives.