"Anticipating the Operational Need for Nuclear Power on the Moon"

NASA officials foresee an "operational need" for nuclear power on the Moon due to the extreme temperatures during the lunar night, which can damage sensitive spacecraft equipment and limit mission lifetimes to one or two weeks. The recent failure of the solar-powered lunar lander, Odysseus, highlights the need for alternative power sources for prolonged missions and a sustainable presence on the lunar surface. NASA aims to address this challenge by deploying nuclear systems on the Moon within the next five years to enable experiments and exploration that extend beyond one lunar day.