White House orders NASA and Pentagon to develop nuclear space reactors

Published April 14, 2026 4:07pm ET | Updated April 14, 2026 4:07pm ET



The White House is moving to fast-track nuclear power development in space, laying out a detailed road map with firm agency roles and time frames to put reactors on the moon and in orbit within the next decade.

The new guidelines build on President Donald Trump’s executive order to ensure space superiority, which set a goal of deploying space-based nuclear reactors by 2030.

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