NASA’s SR-1 Freedom Advances with Progress on Nuclear Power Module.
NASA and its partners agreed to key contract actions for the nuclear power module of SR-1 Freedom, a Mars-bound spacecraft planned as the first to demonstrate fission power beyond Earth orbit.
NASA reported progress on the nuclear power module for Space Reactor-1 (SR-1) Freedom, a mission that is planned to be the first spacecraft to demonstrate fission power beyond Earth's orbit. The agency said it and its partners mutually agreed to key contract actions intended to speed development of the spacecraft.
The mission, announced at NASA's "Ignition" event, will demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion in deep space on a trip to Mars. The nuclear power module sits at the end of the spacecraft's boom. It includes a reactor that generates heat through nuclear fission and a power conversion system that turns that heat into electricity for onboard systems and electric propulsion.
Sierra Lobo Inc. will provide the closed Brayton cycle power conversion system. That work will be carried out under the Space Flight Systems Development and Operations Contract III, awarded in 2024, which supports spaceflight hardware design, development, testing and operations at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory is designing and developing the fission reactor, and the two parts will be integrated to complete the module.
Steve Sinacore, the SR-1 Freedom program director, said the contract actions "reduce technical risk and help us maintain momentum toward our 2028 launch." He added that the actions strengthen collaboration across the project's partners.
NASA said it and DOE build safety into the design and development of the spacecraft. The measures include interagency safety reviews, continuous oversight by a NASA chief safety officer, regulatory compliance, and a design process focused on hazards, failure tolerance and nuclear safety. The reactor will stay inactive until the spacecraft leaves Earth orbit.
SR-1 Freedom is scheduled to launch in late 2028 carrying SkyFall, a science mission made up of three Mars helicopters evolved from the Ingenuity design. They are meant to collect scientific data, demonstrate exploration zones and identify potential water sources. NASA said the mission will pave the way for next-generation fission-powered systems designed to keep its Moon Base running through periods of darkness and in places where solar power alone is not enough.
At a Glance
- SR-1 Freedom is planned to launch in late 2028 and travel to Mars.
- Sierra Lobo Inc. will provide the closed Brayton cycle power conversion system for the nuclear power module.
- Idaho National Laboratory, part of the Department of Energy, is designing and developing the fission reactor.
- The SkyFall payload consists of three Mars helicopters evolved from the Ingenuity design.
- The reactor will remain inactive until the spacecraft leaves Earth orbit.
Sources
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