NASA has announced a restructuring of its Artemis programme of crewed Moon exploration, the final target of which is the establishment of nuclear reactor to power a base at the lunar South Pole. The announcement came after the Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft were rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building hangar for repairs after a helium leak was discovered in the rocket’s upper stage. What was expected to be an updated timeline for Artemis II’s mission has become a restructuring of the entire Artemis programme.
The plan for Artemis II remains the launch of a crew of four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft. NASA is hoping the repairs to the Artemis II rocket can be made in time to meet a launch window that opens on 1 April. However, this mission had originally been intended as the precursor to a landing on the lunar surface using Artemis III in 2028.
Instead, in mid-2027, Artemis III as an Earth-orbit-only mission, will focus on testing rendezvous and docking procedures with the SpaceX or Blue Origin lunar landers to reduce risks before an actual landing attempt. The crewed lunar landing is now targeted for early 2028 (Artemis IV). Later in 2028, a second crewed landing will take place (Artemis V) to start of Moon base construction.
The Artemis programme previously envisaged a jump from Orion’s first uncrewed mission to the Moon in 2022, to a crewed lunar flyby on the Artemis II mission and a Moon landing on Artemis III in 2028. But three or more years between missions, and a transit from lunar space to the lunar surface without at least one test-run with Orion and its landing vehicle left too many “firsts” for Artemis III to take on and posed a significant safety risk, according to a recent report from the NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP).
The report called into question the NASA’s timeline, projected mission safety and the readiness of the Human Landing System (HLS) vehicles that NASA has contracted from private companies to perform lunar landings. “The numerous and unprecedented mission objectives – many being attempted for the first time within a single flight – result in a compounded level of technical and safety risk,” the ASAP report said.
As of March 2026, NASA and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have confirmed a target date of 2030 to establish the first nuclear fission reactor on the Moon. The Fission Surface Power (FSP) project is a critical component of the Artemis programme’s goal to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface. A NASA-DOE memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in January affirmed the commitment to have a reactor ready for launch by 2030 – a tighter timeline than the previous mid-2030s goal. The initial plan was for a 40 kWe system but recent directives from the current US administration have pushed for exploring designs up to 100 kWe. The reactor is designed to operate autonomously for at least 10 years without the need for refuelling.
As of late February, the project is in the Request for Proposals (RFP) and risk-reduction phase. NASA originally awarded three design contracts in 2022 to Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse, and IX (a joint venture of Intuitive Machines and X-energy). Lockheed Martin, partnering with BWX Technologies and Creare, is leveraging their heritage in naval nuclear power and space-rated avionics. Westinghouse, partnering with Aerojet Rocketdyne, is developing a design based on its eVinci microreactor technology.
IX is collaborating with Maxar and Boeing. Intuitive Machines leads systems engineering and design, utilising its experience in lunar landing and surface operations to ensure the reactor can be successfully deployed and integrated into lunar infrastructure. X-energy provides the core nuclear technology, including the reactor design and TRISO-X fuel expertise. Maxar & Boeing contribute expertise in power conversion systems, thermal management, and integrated space flight systems to ensure the reactor can survive launch and operate in a vacuum.
NASA is reviewing input on the second draft of its RFP for the final design and construction. A final RFP to industry is expected in early 2026, following revised drafts that mandate the use of HALEU fuel (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium). Beyond the fuel mandate, the revised draft introduced two other changes NASA has removed a requirement for commercial partners to arrange their own lunar transport and will now provide launch and landing services through its Human Landing System (HLS) programme, coordinating directly with either SpaceX or Blue Origin. The RFP also confirms a minimum requirement of 100 kWe power output.
The Artemis project aligns with Executive Order (EO) 14369, Ensuring American Space Superiority, signed by President Donald Trump in December 2025. US officials have noted that being the first to deploy a reactor allows for the establishment of “safety zones” (exclusion zones) around lunar assets, a critical factor in the geopolitical race against similar plans by China and Russia
