Detail of the Fission Surface Power Structure that part of the research in providing power on the moon.

NASA Glenn Technician Mark Springowski works on a 10-kilowatt Stirling Power Conversion Unit, which is part of the Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit. This is a system level demonstration of a surface power system, which could potentially be used to support manned missions to the moon or Mars. A flight system would use 180 kilowatt nuclear fission reactor and four Stirling PCU’s to produce 40 kW of electricity for manned surface missions.

Chief Technologist Maxwell Briggs, who is responsible for early-stage innovations, poses in front of the Fission Surface Power System at NASA Glenn Research Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, center left, is shown the Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) by Lee Mason, fission surface power chief technologist, right, as he tours the Electric Propulsion and Power Laboratory, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Glenn marks the eleventh stop in Isaacman’s roadshow to visit NASA facilities and engage directly with the agency’s workforce. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, left, speaks to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, right, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at the Department of Energy Headquarters in Washington. The DOE and NASA signed a memorandum of understanding to support the research and development of a fission surface power system for use on the Moon and future NASA missions to Mars. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)