In this week's episode of Space Minds, Bhavya Lal, the former acting Chief Technologist at NASA explains how nuclear power could unlock humanity's next giant leap in space.

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Exlabs and Antares announced a strategic partnership March 19 to develop a nuclear-powered spacecraft for deep-space missions.

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Zeno Power Systems is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy to recycle decades-old radioactive material to produce radioisotope power sources.

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Intuitive Machines, Lockheed Martin and Westinghouse Government Services won contracts from the Air Force Research Laboratory to advance technologies for nuclear powered space vehicles.

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Advocates of nuclear power systems for lunar exploration are calling on NASA to find ways to continue development amid fiscal challenges and competing priorities.

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Zeno Power Systems, a startup developing a propulsion system that uses radioisotopes, was awarded a $30 million contract to demonstrate the technology on a U.S. military satellite.

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Rolls-Royce today announces it has secured funding from UK Space Agency, as it backs research by Rolls-Royce into how nuclear power could be used to support a future Moon base […]

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China has laid out its pathway for robotic and crewed lunar and deep space exploration, with a number of missions building towards a permanent moon base.

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A Chinese nuclear reactor for providing power and propulsion in outer space has passed a comprehensive performance evaluation, according to reports.

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The Defense Innovation Unit announced May 17 it selected Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. and Avalanche to develop small nuclear-powered spacecraft for in-space demonstrations planned for 2027.

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Nuclear thermal propulsion, which uses heat from nuclear reactions as fuel, could be used one day in human spaceflight, possibly even for missions to Mars. Its development, however, poses a […]

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The Defense Innovation Unit last week issued a call for bids for small nuclear-powered engines for space missions beyond Earth orbit.

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As Congress prepares NASA’s budget for fiscal year 2022, it has a valuable opportunity to ensure that America remains the world’s leader in sustainable space exploration by continuing to fund the development of advanced space nuclear technology.

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Less than a month after issuing a policy directive on space nuclear power, the White House released an executive order Jan. 12 seeking to promote the development of small nuclear reactors for space and defense applications.

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The White House released a new space policy directive Dec. 16 intended to serve as a strategic roadmap for the development of space nuclear power and propulsion technologies.

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NASA and the Department of Energy will seek proposals for industry later this year for the development of a compact nuclear power system that can support the agency’s long-term lunar and Martian exploration plans.

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The argument that supporters of space nuclear power make is that the technology is essential for NASA’s long-term exploration effort. Advocates have tried to make that case for decades, but only now seem to be gaining traction.

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Experimental laser weapons have been fielded for decades, but the enabling technologies and threats that make them practical in battle have matured considerably in recent years.

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At this 11th hour, the United States can still close the window of nuclear vulnerability, provided it can choose the right approach and act now.

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After a successful campaign of ground tests, NASA is considering performing a flight test of a small nuclear reactor, possibly on a lunar lander mission in the mid-2020s.

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