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The Space Nuclear Power Bottleneck — and How to Fix It

Nuclear power is poised to transform U.S. deep‑space and lunar missions, with NASA targeting a nuclear propulsion test by 2028 and a surface fission reactor on the Moon by 2030. While reactor designs and fuel supplies are mature, the real bottleneck is the lack of dedicated testing, demonstration, and integration infrastructure. Existing facilities cannot accommodate the thermal, vacuum, and radiological requirements of full‑stack nuclear systems. Without new test complexes and a dedicated payload integration bay, the United States risks falling behind international competitors.