The US Department of Energy (DOE) has approved its third round of conditional commitments under the HALEU Availability Program, selecting the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) and Radiant Industries NASA and Radiant Industries to receive high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to fuel upcoming space exploration and national security missions.
Because domestic commercial production of HALEU is currently unavailable, these temporary federal allocations bridge the fuel gap by drawing from limited DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) assets. NASA, a first-time recipient under the programme, was allocated HALEU to fuel the SR-1 Freedom mission to Mars, which will use an advanced nuclear electric propulsion spacecraft design.
Radiant Industries, a second-time recipient, will receive the HALEU to fuel a portable commercial microreactor deployed to the Air Force’s preferred site at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado. The project is on track to meet President Trump’s May 2025 Executive Order 14299, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security. This requires the Department of War to begin operating an Army-regulated nuclear reactor at a domestic military installation no later than 30 September 2028.
Radiant previously secured a Round 1 allocation in April 2025 to test its Kaleidos Demonstration Unit at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Other Round 1 recipients were TRISO-X, Kairos Power, Westinghouse and TerraPower. Round 2 in August 2025 saw Antares Nuclear, Standard Nuclear and Abilene Christian University/Natura Resources receive HALEU allocations.
For the Round 3 recipients, DOE will now transition from conditional selection into the official contracting process with both entities. Before fuel delivery can occur, recipients must finalise contracting, complete fuel-qualification work, clear transport package approvals, and secure enrichment/fabrication schedules.
“Today’s allocations spotlight the importance of fuelling advanced nuclear reactors for space exploration and national security,” said Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish. “The US Department of Energy’s HALEU Availability Program is an important stepping-stone for the nuclear industry as we work to establish a domestic nuclear fuel supply in support of the American nuclear renaissance.”
The HALEU Availability Program is ongoing, and DOE plans to continue HALEU allocations to additional companies in the future.
