Nuclear power could help future moon missions ‘survive the night’

Aerospace company Firefly Aerospace is partnering with Zeno Power on a lunar mission that will test technology designed to keep spacecraft operating during the moon’s extreme nighttime conditions.

Firefly announced Wednesday that it plans to carry Zeno Power’s “Survive-the-Night” package aboard a future mission to the moon’s near side. The launch is targeted for no earlier than 2028.

Although the moon can be bright during the lunar day, temperatures may fall below negative 280 degrees after sunset. A lunar night lasts about two Earth weeks, creating a significant challenge for landers and other equipment that relies on solar energy.

During daylight, Firefly’s commercial Blue Ghost lander will use solar power to operate NASA payloads. After sunset, Zeno Power’s technology is expected to take over.

At the center of the system is a 5-watt radioisotope heater unit. It uses heat produced through the natural decay of radioactive material, allowing it to provide energy for years without sunlight.

The technology could support future spacecraft, lunar infrastructure and plans for a permanent human presence on the moon.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the recent Artemis II voyage around the moon represents the beginning of a broader exploration campaign.

“Over the last few months, we have revealed some of the most incredible missions of science, exploration and discovery in NASA history,” Isaacman said. “The Artemis II voyage around the moon was just the beginning.”

Isaacman said NASA is also working toward establishing its first outpost on another world, which he called the “Moonbase.” His vision includes a larger role for nuclear energy in space exploration.

NASA also announced plans for SR-1 Freedom, a proposed nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft intended to support future missions to Mars.

“In a lot of ways, that’s where SR-1 Freedom and the first nuclear-powered interplanetary spaceship, which will launch from here at Kennedy Space Center in late 2028, which I hope, as I mentioned, becomes the start of the nuclear NASA,” Isaacman said.

Firefly successfully landed its first Blue Ghost spacecraft on the moon in 2025.

A compact power source capable of operating for years could help future missions survive long periods without sunlight — an important step toward sustaining people and equipment on the moon and eventually traveling farther into the solar system.