NASA plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon.

Summary

T-Minus Space Daily: NASA’s Ambitious Lunar Nuclear Reactor Plans

Release Date: August 5, 2025
Host: Maria Varmazes, N2K Networks
Guest: Leslie Kahn, Director of Research and Analysis at the Space Foundation

---

1. Introduction

In the August 5, 2025 episode of T-Minus Space Daily, hosted by Maria Varmazes, the spotlight shines on NASA's groundbreaking initiative to construct a nuclear reactor on the Moon. This episode delves into the strategic implications of this project, its alignment with global space ambitions, and insights from Leslie Kahn of the Space Foundation.

---

2. NASA’s Plans for a Lunar Nuclear Reactor

Maria kicks off the discussion by addressing rumors of NASA's definitive timeline to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon. According to [01:05], Acting Administrator Sean Duffy is poised to accelerate these plans despite proposed budget cuts to the US Space Agency.

Key Points:

• 100 Kilowatt Reactor Objective: NASA has directed the agency to solicit industry proposals for a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor aimed for launch by 2030. This is pivotal for sustaining long-term lunar missions and ensuring a reliable power source for astronauts.

• Budget Dynamics: Despite the Trump administration's proposed budget increases for human spaceflight, there are significant cuts to other programs. This juxtaposition highlights NASA's prioritization of sustainable lunar presence over other initiatives.

• Competitive Edge: The push for a lunar reactor is part of the broader US strategy to surpass China and Russia in lunar exploration. With China already announcing plans for a human presence on the Moon by 2030, the US aims to solidify its leadership in space exploration.

Notable Quote:

"The reactor directive orders the agency to solicit industry proposals for a 100 kilowatt nuclear reactor to launch by 2030, which is a key consideration for astronauts' return to the lunar surface." — Maria Varmazes [05:30]

---

3. Strategic Partnerships and Launch Agreements

The episode highlights significant partnerships shaping the current space landscape:

• iRocket and Space Belt KSA Partnership:
  • [06:15] Innovative Rocket Technologies (iRocket) has inked a $640 million multi-launch agreement with Space Belt KSA.
  • Objective: Launch integration, mission planning, and propulsion systems for up to 30 upcoming orbital launches.
  • Impact: Facilitates the deployment of satellite constellations to establish a secure, encrypted communication network across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

Notable Quote:

"The collaboration also includes joint testing and future launch operations within the GCC, paving the way for technology transfer and the expansion of space-based capabilities." — Maria Varmazes [07:40]

---

4. Redwire Corporation’s SpaceMD Initiative

Redwire Corporation has ventured into the pharmaceutical aspect of space through its new entity, SpaceMD.

Key Points:

• Microgravity Research: SpaceMD focuses on growing seed crystals in orbit using Redwire's Pillbox lab, leveraging the unique microgravity environment to create and reformulate pharmaceuticals.

• Achievements:

  • [07:55] Successfully crystallized 17 compounds, including insulin, on the International Space Station.
  • Partnership: Licensing agreement with Accessa Libero Pharma to develop small molecule drugs targeting bone diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis.

Notable Quote:

"SpaceMD will sell or license these seed crystals to companies that can use them to create reformulated versions of existing drugs or entirely new therapeutics." — Maria Varmazes [07:10]

---

5. SES Space and Defense’s U.S. Army Contract

SES Space and Defense has secured an $89.6 million contract to provide the U.S. Army with COMSAT services.

Key Points:

• Services Provided: Strategic long-haul network transport and base support communications for combat service support and Department of Defense programs.

• Technology Integration: Utilizes commercial KU Band geostationary satellite services and terrestrial networks to ensure global connectivity.

Notable Quote:

"This service ensures cohesive connectivity across teleports and the global network centers." — Maria Varmazes [08:05]

---

6. Insights from the Space Foundation’s Q2 Report

Leslie Kahn presents key findings from the Space Foundation's Q2 report, offering a comprehensive view of the global space economy.

Key Highlights:

• Space Economy Growth:

  • [12:59] The global space economy reached $613 billion in 2024, marking an 8% annual increase from the previous year.
  • Growth Drivers: Enhanced global activity, maturation of markets, and the emergence of new sectors.

• Market Segments:

  • Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT): A cornerstone of the space economy with substantial growth.
  • Ground Stations and Equipment: Essential for accessing and utilizing space-based data.

• Geopolitical Influences:

  • European Space Sovereignty: Unified budget increases and strategic investments in space infrastructure.
  • Golden Dome Initiative: An estimated $175 billion investment from the U.S. budget, emphasizing space assets as key economic drivers.

Notable Quotes:

"This report is grounded in reality, based on real numbers, real data." — Maria Varmazes [13:51]

"The growth of commercial human spaceflight in one year from 2023 to 2024, almost 611%, is an indicator of where we might be in 10 years." — Leslie Kahn [20:30]

---

7. Additional Space Industry Developments

Alice Carruth, T-Minus Producer, highlights:

• Rocket Labs: Successfully launched its 69th Electra mission to deploy a single satellite for IQPS.
• Voyager Space: Released second-quarter financial results.
• Firefly Aerospace: Elevated its IPO range.
• Policy Updates: The Trump administration considers decommissioning two climate satellites.
• US Space Force: Plans to launch its first ground-moving target indicator satellites within the next year.

---

8. Human Interest: Rupert the Space Armadillo

Adding a lighter note, Maria shares the story of Rupert, the plush Space Armadillo from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, who has joined Crew 11 on their mission to the International Space Station.

Highlights:

• Training and Adventures: Rupert has completed space cargo specialist courses and earned a commission as a lieutenant in the US Space Force.
• Mission Role: Though a plushie, Rupert symbolizes the spirit of exploration and camaraderie among space missions.

Notable Quote:

"Rupert is embodying the spirit of exploration and is about to earn his astronaut wings." — Maria Varmazes [08:55]

---

9. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a reminder for listeners to stay connected via the N2K Spaces Network and to share the podcast for broader outreach. Maria emphasizes the continuous evolution of the space industry and the importance of staying informed through platforms like T-Minus Space Daily.

---

Resources and Further Reading

• Space Foundation Q2 Report: thespacereport.org
• NASA’s Lunar Reactor Documentation: Politico
• SpaceMD and Pharmaceutical Developments: Redwire Corporation
• iRocket and Space Belt KSA Partnership Details: Space Belt KSA

---

For more detailed analyses and daily updates, visit https://space.n2k.com/.

Transcript

[Maria Varmazes]

You're listening to the N2K space network.

[Cyberark Representative]

CISOs and CIOs know machine identities now outnumber humans by more than 80 to 1 and without securing them trust, uptime, outages and compliance are at risk. Cyberark is leading the way with the only unified platform purpose built to secure every machine identity, certificates, secrets and workloads across all environments, all clouds and all AI agents. Designed for scale, automation and quantum readiness, Cyberark helps modern enterprises secure their machine future. Visit cyberark.com machines to see how.

[Maria Varmazes]

Today is August 5, 2025 Maria I'm Maria Varmazes and this is T minus.

[Leslie Kahn]

T.

[Maria Varmazes]

Minus 20 seconds to Los T drift. Go for deploy. Roger. 5. Skyrora has become the first UK based manufacturer to receive a launch license for a commercial vehicle. 4. Redwire Corporation has formed a new entity called SpaceMD to focus on growing seed crystals in orbit that will be used on Earth to create new and reformulated pharmaceuticals. SES Space and Defense has been awarded $89.6 million to provide the U.S. army with COMSAT. COM iRocket has entered into a $640 million multi launch agreement with Space Belt KSA. NASA's Acting Administrator Sean Duffy is expected to expedite plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon. Liftoff L Our guest today is Leslie Kahn, Director of Research and Analysis at the Space Foundation. We're going to be discussing insights from the Space Foundation's Q2 report, so stick around for more on that later in the show. Happy Tuesday everybody. Thank you for joining me. We're kicking off today's show with rumors that we will be soon hearing of NASA's definitive timeline to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, According to documents obtained by Politico. Acting Administrator Sean Duffy will expedite plans for a lunar nuclear reactor despite proposed budget cuts to the US Space Agency. The Trump administration has proposed a budget that would increase funds for human spaceflight even as it advocates for major slashes to other programs. The reactor directive orders the agency to solicit industry proposals for a 100 kilowatt nuclear reactor to launch by 2030, which is a key consideration for astronauts return to the lunar surface. NASA previously funded research into a 40 kilowatt reactor for use on the moon, according to the report. The directive also orders NASA to designate a leader for the effort and to get industry input within 60 days. The push is thought to be part of the US Effort to beat China and Russia to the moon. China has already announced plans to have a human presence on the moon by 2030. It is also reported that Sean Duffy will push for a quick replacement for the International Space Station. The two moves could help accelerate U.S. efforts to reach the Moon and Mars, a goal that again, China is also pursuing. We will keep an eye out for that solicitation request in the coming days. Innovative Rocket Technologies, also known as iRocket, has entered into a five year launch integration, mission planning and propulsion systems agreement with Space Belt KSA and the total contract value is up to $640 million now. Space Belt KSA is a Saudi based space logistics and satellite security platform focused on building sovereign encrypted communication infrastructure across the Gulf region. Under the agreement, IROCKET will provide launch vehicle integration, mission planning and propulsion systems for up to 30 of Space Belt KSA's upcoming orbital launches. The partnership includes multiple launches of satellite constellations aiming to provide an autonomous space based communications network across Saudi Arabia and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council or GCC region. The collaboration also includes joint testing and future launch operations within the gcc, paving the way for technology transfer, regional manufacturing and the expansion of space based capabilities that support both national security and commercial growth. SES Space and Defense has been awarded a five year sustainment tactical network contract to provide the US army with Comsatcom services. The contract is worth $89.6 million and will support strategic long haul network transport and base support communications for combat service support, Department of Defense programs and additional US Government agencies. SDS says the commercial KU Band geostationary satellite service delivered by SDS Space and Defense with the support of the Commercial Satellite Communications Office will ensure global connectivity for end users using commercial teleport and equipment to support the Comsatcom links. Coupled with the terrestrial based network linking the entire system. SES says the service ensures cohesive connectivity across teleports and the global network centers. Redwire Corporation has formed a new entity to focus on growing seed crystals in orbit that will be used on Earth to create new and reformulated pharmaceuticals and the entity is called Space MD and it plans to take advantage of the unique microgravity environment in space through the use of Redwire's innovative and flight proven pharmaceutical in space lab known as Pillbox to grow the seed crystals. Now, 28 pillbox systems have already flown in space and have successfully crystallized 17 compounds on the International Space Station including insulin and other critical molecules. SpaceMD will sell or license these seed crystals to companies that can use them to create reformulated versions of existing drugs or entirely new therapeutics. Additionally, Space MD announced a licensing agreement with Accessa Libero Pharma and the pharmaceutical company is developing new small molecule drugs to treat bone disease. Under the terms of the agreement, Accessa Libero Pharma will work with SpaceMD to advance and enhance its small molecule drug called ELP004 and other relevant compounds via the Pillbox system. And this drug could hold the key to controlling the insidious bone erosion that numerous debilitating diseases cause, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple myeloma, diabetes, periodontal disease and tuberculosis. And there is big news out of the United Kingdom overnight. Skyrora has become the first UK based manufacturer to receive a launch license for a commercial vehicle. The UK Civil Aviation Authority granted the license, which allows Skyrora to launch its suborbital Skylark L rocket from a UK site. Skylark L already unsuccessfully launched from Iceland in 2022. But with its license secured, Skyrora is preparing for a UK based Skylark L launch and continues to work closely with regulators, spaceports and partners to establish regular launch activity from British soil. Congratulations to the teams for reaching this major milestone that wraps up today's headlines. But as always, there's a lot more going on in the space industry. T Minus producer Alice Carruth joins us now to share the other stories that we are keeping an eye on.

[Alice Carruth]

Thanks Maria. Rocket Labs successfully launched its 69th Electra mission to deploy a single satellite for IQPS. Voyager Space released second quarter financial results Firefly Aerospace lifted its IPO range, NPR is reporting that the Trump administration is looking to decommission two climate satellites and Defense News is reporting that the US Space Force will launch its first ground Moving target indicator satellites in the next year.

[Maria Varmazes]

And as always, links are in the show notes in your podcast app as well as on the official N2K T website which is space.n2k.com hey t minus Crew, if you are just joining us, be sure to follow T Minus Space daily in your favorite podcast app. Also if you could do us a favor just share our show with your friends and coworkers. That'll help other people just like you to find the show and join the T Minus crew. If you find us useful, please share so people can find us. Thank you. It means a lot to me and all of us here at T Minus.

[David Moulton]

New adversary tactics and emerging tech to meet these threats is developing all the time on Threat Vector. We keep you a step ahead. We dig deep into the threats that matter and the strategies that work.

[Maria Varmazes]

How do they help that customer know.

[David Moulton]

That what they just created is safe?

[Maria Varmazes]

The future is now and our Expectations are wrong.

[David Moulton]

Join me, David Moulton, Senior Director of thought leadership for Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks and our guests who live this work every day.

[Maria Varmazes]

We're not just talking about some encryption and paying multimillion dollar ransom. We're talking about fundamentally being unable to operate automated eradication and containment. So being able to very rapidly ID what's going on in an environment and contain that immediately.

[Alice Carruth]

They're hiding in plain sight.

[David Moulton]

So if you're looking to sharpen your strategy and stay ahead of what's next, tune in and listen to Threat Vector, your frontline for security insights.

[Cyberark Representative]

And now a word from our sponsor, ThreatLocker, the powerful Zero Trust enterprise solution that stops ransomware in its tracks. Allowlisting is a deny by default software that makes application control simple and fast. Ring Fencing is an application containment strategy, ensuring apps can only access the files, registry keys, network resources and other applications they truly need to function. Shut out cybercriminals with world class endpoint protection from Threat Locker.

[Maria Varmazes]

Next up is my chat with Leslie Kahn, who is the director of Research and analysis at the Space foundation, and she joined me to share key insights about the current state of the global space economy, all found within the Space Foundation's Q2 report. Here's more.

[Leslie Kahn]

Things are definitely happening. It's just such another strong indicator and validation of all that is happening in the space industry. So I think the first thing to do is maybe to set some parameters. Yes, this report is releasing in 2025, but like so much global research, this involves data from 2024. Now, I know that sounds like, my goodness, we're in July of 25. Why are we talking about 24? Some of this data only came available this July. So we're really looking at the very latest global indicators to get a picture, not on projections or estimates, but on actual revenues, actual government activity, budget processes. And so that's why really this is such a good, timely indicator of what's happening in the space economy.

[Maria Varmazes]

That's one of the many things I love about it because sometimes I hear in presentations people going, it's estimated that space is going to be worth this many dollars. And I go, well, based on what numbers? This is concrete data actually reported from the company. So it does not get more realistic than this. So this is very for Space podcast. We don't like saying grounded, but this is very grounded in reality and I greatly appreciate that. We're talking real numbers, real data. So let's get into it, shall we? What would be some top line insights from this latest report?

[Leslie Kahn]

So I think the big numbers, the unveiling number that we had at our global economic Summit in Washington D.C. is the total size of the space economy for 2024. And we're looking at $613 billion. That is up almost 8% annually from the 568 we estimated the prior year. So while it's not stratospheric growth, it is really strong steady growth and again an indicator in not only the increasing activity globally, but just the maturation of some of the markets as well as some new entry areas.

[Maria Varmazes]

Eight percent's not bad. That's pretty, that's still pretty strong growth, I would say, based on, you know, I'm not an economy expert, but like that's, that's pretty good. That's the right direction. Have we overcome, you know, supply chain issues? Is that sort of in the rearview mirror now or is that, are we still seeing mentions of that in revenue reports? I mean, I'm wondering what are we seeing there?

[Leslie Kahn]

I think that is an issue that certainly after Covid had subsided, there may be some renewed concerns as we look at some of the geopolitical situations. But certainly for 2024, this was really a year about continued growth, about just globally, more people accessing the Internet, wanting the use of the space based assets of Earth observation and all the new ways that can be used. Those were still really the two biggest markets. When you look at the foundation of the space economy, really the two strong footings are position, navigation and timing and then the ground stations and equipment that come with receiving and helping make that information accessible.

[Maria Varmazes]

I was curious about if there were specific markets globally that we're seeing perhaps stronger indicators of growth or is it pretty uniform?

[Leslie Kahn]

I think it really depends how you want to look at it. So from a global standpoint, we are seeing a wider array of sort of emerging markets where you might see in Latin America, parts of Europe and Africa, where perhaps there hasn't been a really good sustained widespread availability. We are seeing that in more established markets like the United States and Europe and China. We're just seeing such a deepening of the ways that Earth observation data can be used or positioning, navigation and timing. So there are so many entry points to this that when you put those all together, it really contributed to strong growth. We did some 10 year looks at these individual sectors. So when you look at commercial products and services, so these would be the things that we use that PNT signal for. The 10 year growth for commercial products and services is 181%. When you look at the infrastructure and the support like ground stations, that's, you know, maybe about 10% growth. Other strong areas where we're seeing, though. And again, this is an indication of the ongoing support from governments and more countries entering space and recognizing not only its usefulness in everyday life, but its potential is an economic driver. So when you look at what countries are doing, the United States over 10 years has increased its space budget almost 80%. Other nations about 55%. But for 2024, when we started looking at other nations, Europe in particular, there were really sort of unified increases across the European markets.

[Maria Varmazes]

We often hear about European space sovereignty being a large priority.

[Leslie Kahn]

I would imagine certainly in again, most of what we looked at within the numbers I'm talking about is 2024. Looking back 10 years, what we've seen in the first six months of 2025, which we do detail in this edition. So we take a look back, a very detailed look back. But then we do look at some early indicators of what we're seeing in 2025, and that very much is increased spending in overall, two thirds of nations we reviewed increased in 2024, and almost that many were showing increases in 2025. And it really ties to the geopolitical situation, certainly for Europe.

[Maria Varmazes]

Absolutely, yeah. And speaking of geopolitics, especially in the last six months, Golden Dome, the phrase that I think I've seen on every press release from a space company. I'm always curious how much of this is marketing spin, how much of it is real? What are the actual effects of Golden Dome in the market? Can we tell yet?

[Leslie Kahn]

If you look at what's happening within U.S. budget discussions, there are some solid commitments being made to the Golden Dome. You know, one estimate is we could be looking at initially $175 billion in investment. A lot of that would come from, yes, larger defense companies, but it also will spread out to sort of second tier, not necessarily a startup company, but some of these newer companies. So at 175 billion, that is tremendous investment because we're talking about space assets, then we would see that as a key driver of the 25, 26 economy and moving forward.

[Maria Varmazes]

Hmm. So definitely one to watch. Obligatory journalist question. Anything surprise you when you were putting this report together? Anything you and your team went, oh.

[Leslie Kahn]

I think some of the fun is when you start looking at some of the smaller areas. So certainly the growth in what we are seeing for space, situational awareness for in space servicing, assembly and manufacturing, that's probably only in the last two years have we really started to carve those sectors out and to see them having a fairly solid foundation again. Another indicator of new ways that space is enabling activity on Earth. Probably the most fun number, the growth of commercial human spaceflight in one year from 2023 to 2024, almost 611%. It's still a sector that is, you know, below $1 billion. That's really predicated largely on deposits for upcoming flights. But again, it's. It's an indicator, you know, where might we be in 10 years? Especially with all that's happening from a launch perspective and a space station standpoint.

[Maria Varmazes]

That's a very fascinating insight to have that view. So I feel like just asking what's going to happen next quarter? Obviously you don't have a crystal ball, but any thoughts on.

[Leslie Kahn]

Yeah, well, now, actually, actually.

[Maria Varmazes]

Okay. All right, so Q3 predictions, I suppose.

[Leslie Kahn]

I think one other thing we can talk about is investment activity. Certainly what we've seen in the last six months is space stocks outperforming other comparable indexes. And so in Q2, which really just ended, the space index was almost 25% higher from the prior quarter.

[Maria Varmazes]

Yeah.

[Leslie Kahn]

With a number of IPOs. With really all that's happening with the US budget, I think we fairly confidently could say that looking forward to Q3, we might see continued good performance from space companies in the stock market.

[Maria Varmazes]

Greatly appreciate your insights and the insights that you and your team always put together. And thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. I want to make sure if there's any, anything you wanted to add as a final closing thought that I give you that opportunity. So anything to close us out.

[Leslie Kahn]

Thank you so much, Marie. It's always a pleasure to talk with you. You're a great interviewer. And for more details, check us [e-mail].

[Maria Varmazes]

We'Ll be right back. Welcome back. We here at T minus were wondering when Crew 11 launched what the zero G indicator was. And we had an inkling it might be a familiar museum mascot. And now they have confirmed it. Rupert, the Space Armadillo of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum has joined the Crew 11 mission to the International Space Station. Now, Rupert is not a real armadillo. I just want to clarify that. He is a plushie and he is the official mascot of the Cape Naveral Space Force Museum where he has been delighting visitors and honoring the spirit of exploration since 2019. And now in 2025, clearly he's embodying that spirit too. Real quick now, I'm going to refer you now to our Deep space episode from February 17, 2025 for a SEC link is also in the show notes for you, of course, but that interview is with James Draper, who is the director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. And in that interview he tells the whole story of how Rupert the Space Armadillo came to be. In a nutshell, though, Rupert began as a gift from volunteers and a fun lunchroom brainstorm. And from there, the plush Armadillo developed his own space faring legend with tales of helping launch crews and flaunting his armored physique around historic pads and But Rupert and his crew want you to know that this Armadillo has taken his training very seriously. He reportedly completed space cargo specialist courses, participated in the Space Force's AI Challenge, and even earned a commission as a lieutenant in the US Space Force. That is a very ambitious armadillo. Now, once Crew 11 returns and Rupert gets his Earth legs back and re acclimates to 1G, he'll be ready to tell tales of microgravity and reaffirm his post as the most adventurous stuffed armadillo on and off the planet. Rupert, he's armored, he's adorable, and he's about to earn his astronaut wings. Ad Astra little guy. And that's T minus Brought to you by N2K CyberOne we'd love to know what you think of this podcast. Your feedback ensures we deliver the insights that keep you a step ahead in the rapidly changing space industry. If you like the show, please share a rating and review in your podcast app. Please also fill out the survey in the show notes or send an email to space2k.com we'd love to hear from you. We are proud that N2K CyberWire is part of the daily routine of the most influential leaders and operators in the public and private sector. From the Fortune 500 to many of the world's preeminent intelligence and law enforcement agencies, N2K helps space and cybersecurity professionals grow, learn and stay informed. As the nexus for discovery and connection, we bring you the people, the technology and the ideas shaping the future of secure innovation. Learn [e-mail] N2K's senior producer is Alice Carouse. Our producer is Liz Stokes. Were mixed by Elliot Peltzman and Trey Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our executive producer is Jennifer Ivan. Peter Kilpe is our publisher and I am your host, Maria Varmazes. Thanks for listening. We'll see you tomorrow. T minus.