NASA Glenn seeks industry feedback on draft lunar fission power partnership plan

Questions and Answers: 

What is the goal of the Fission Surface Power system? The system is intended to provide reliable, sustained electrical power on the lunar surface to support future missions and enable the development of a lunar economy.

Which technical capabilities does NASA emphasize? NASA highlights automated operation, fault detection and recovery, restart capability without external power, adherence to wire and cable derating standards, and support for high-power user loads through multiple 120 VDC connector ports.

What is the timeline for feedback and engagement? Comments are due by 5 p.m. Eastern on 12 December 2025. Virtual one-on-one sessions will take place during the week of 15 December through 19 December. The Final AFPP is expected in early 2026.

CLEVELAND - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center in Cleveland has released a second-draft announcement for partnership proposals for its Fission Surface Power System, inviting industry to review and comment on requirements for a nuclear power capability intended to supply continuous electrical energy on the lunar surface.

The draft outlines NASA’s objective to deploy a complete Fission Surface Power, or FSP, system on the Moon in support of future lunar operations and the development of a long-term lunar economy. NASA is requesting industry feedback on the Draft AFPP and its attachments, including requirements, proposal instructions, evaluation approaches, schedule considerations, and any perceived safety, security, environmental, export control, or programmatic risks.

The draft requirements describe several system-level expectations relevant to autonomous operation and surface nuclear power. NASA specifies that the FSP system should be capable of automated operation without real-time commanded intervention and must include fault detection, isolation, and recovery capabilities. The agency also states that the system should be able to conduct restarts without external power, a condition expected to support operations during extended periods of lunar darkness.

Related: NASA selects Yank Technologies to advance dust-tolerant connectors for lunar missions

Project expectations

Electrical distribution expectations include meeting NASA wire and cable derating criteria to ensure insulation performance under maximum continuous current. The draft also requires a minimum of 10 user interface connector ports at 120 VDC, each with a minimum power rating of 6kWe. The FSP system must accommodate user loads ranging from zero to full rated power. Hazard protection requirements call for preventing credible electrical, thermal, mechanical, nuclear, pressurized-system, and other hazards that could lead to critical or catastrophic consequences.

The tentative schedule includes 30-minute virtual one-on-one sessions with the Fission Surface Power Program Executive and Deputy Program Executive during the week of 15 December through 19 December on a first-come, first-served basis. These discussions are intended to help prospective partners understand draft requirements prior to the release of the final announcement.

NASA states that comments may lead to changes reflected in the Final AFPP. While the Government does not plan to formally respond to all comments, selected responses may be posted on SAM.gov if doing so would improve industry understanding. NASA will consider all comments received as it prepares the Final AFPP.

Comments must be submitted electronically to Matthew Evans at [email protected] by 5 p.m. Eastern on 12 December 2025. NASA anticipates issuing the Final AFPP in early 2026. Additional information is available at 
https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/f653f35bd344451d990625943861caa0/view.