# NASA and Energy Department sign space nuclear development agreement

_Published Friday, October 9, 2026 at 10:18 AM EDT · Science, Policy · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, seated left, and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, seated right, hold the signed Memorandum of Understanding, “Accelerating American Leadership in Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion”, as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Michael Kratsios, looks on, during the Golden Age Summit, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington. — Primary](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/nasa-doe-mou-release-smaller-image-oct-8.jpg)

NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy signed an agreement on Oct. 8 establishing a joint framework for developing nuclear power and propulsion for space, NASA announced. The memorandum takes effect Nov. 1 and covers research, fuel production, testing, launch integration and operations.

The agreement strengthens existing cooperation on fission and radioisotope power systems. A December 2025 executive order directs NASA to develop a launch-ready lunar surface reactor by 2030. NASA says that reactor would supply electricity for habitats, communications, instruments, rovers and other lunar infrastructure through darkness and shadow; the launch-ready reactor remains a development goal.

## Sources

- [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-energy-department-advance-new-era-of-nuclear-powered-exploration/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/LovpqJPzBq7-YC28vSwKMn
Published: 2026-10-09T14:18:35.581Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-08T15:46:25.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-09T16:57:57.788Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)