Hot off the Shelf: NASA Procurement Methods for Commercial Radioisotope Power Systems

As the global space community advances its lunar exploration goals, a key technology shortfall remains: ensuring survival and sustained operation through the lunar night. The Civil Space Technologies Shortfall survey identified this challenge as vital, yet it's one we already solved during the Apollo missions with the use of Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS). Despite RPS's proven ability to support long-duration missions through harsh lunar conditions, current deployments are limited to marquee NASA missions like New Frontiers and Mars Sample Return, leaving Artemis without a dedicated solution. Meanwhile, other space agencies-ESA, ISRO, and China's CNSA-are integrating RPS into their lunar roadmaps. For the first time, commercial entities are stepping up to provide RPS solutions, bridging the gap to supplement government-built systems and expand their utilization in space. These commercial RPS options offer potential not only for government-led initiatives like Artemis but also for future lunar commercial operations. But procuring commercial RPS is a new paradigm for NASA, and NASA will need to determine how it will procure these commercial RPS to solve its top technology shortfall. This panel brings together key stakeholders from across NASA's programs to discuss the demand, pathways, and potential acquisition models for commercial RPS. Panelists will explore procurement methods through programs such as NASA's CLPS/PRISM, the RPS Program, and direct acquisition from NASA projects. Insights from the excellent slate of panelists will provide a comprehensive view of the evolving landscape for RPS in supporting sustained lunar exploration.

Discussion

To join the conversation, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.

Register NowLog In