NASA seeks ideas for a nuclear reactor on the moon

By KEITH RIDLER
Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — If anyone has a good idea on how to put a nuclear fission power plant on the moon, the U.S. government wants to hear about it. NASA and the nation’s top federal nuclear research lab on Friday put out a request for proposals for a fission surface power system. NASA is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory to establish a sun-independent power source for missions to the moon by the end of the decade. The next objective would be Mars. The proposal requests are for an initial system design and must be submitted by Feb. 19.