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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Potentially for years—and earlier NASA descriptions put one design goal at at least 10 years of continuous operation—but that is not a demonstrated lunar runtime or a confirmed lifetime for the latest reactor effort. The planned initial demonstration is expected to run for at least one year, with longer operation intended. NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have not published a single final service-life specification for the newer, at-least-100-kWe effort.
What does “10 years” mean?
NASA’s 2021 Fission Surface Power description said a small system could provide up to 10 kilowatts of electrical power (10 kWe) continuously for at least 10 years. That is a projected capability, not the result of a 10-year test on the Moon. NASA also said four 10-kWe units could support more robust operations. NASA’s 2021 project description
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Later descriptions refer to different program phases and goals. DOE’s January 13, 2026 overview says the initial demonstration is expected to generate up to 40 kWe and last at least one year, while being designed for longer operation. A joint DOE–NASA announcement says the envisioned reactor should operate for years without refueling, but gives no exact number. Those statements do not establish that the current flight system is guaranteed to run for a decade. DOE’s January 2026 overview · DOE–NASA announcement, January 13, 2026
How do the published power and schedule figures fit together?
Public figures vary because they refer to separate program descriptions, concept studies, and planned phases—not one final selected reactor specification.
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| Source and date | Power figure | What it says about duration or schedule |
|---|---|---|
| NASA, 2021 | Up to 10 kWe continuously | At least 10 years, as a stated system capability |
| NASA, later project page; publication date not visible | 40-kWe class | Compares the power level to 30 households for ten years; this is an analogy, not a Moon-base load estimate or a separate service-life guarantee. NASA project page |
| DOE, January 13, 2026 | Up to 40 kWe for the initial demonstration | At least one year, designed for longer operation |
| NASA, August 2025 industry-feedback notice | At least 100 kWe | Target to put a reactor on the Moon by the first quarter of fiscal year 2030; the notice does not state a service life. NASA’s 2025 notice |
A NASA conceptual deployment study examined 10- and 40-kWe systems and identified near-term user needs on the order of 10–40 kWe. It also considered how to transport and deploy a reactor, shield crews, and transmit electricity from a reactor set apart from users. These were engineering concepts, not a final flight-hardware selection. NASA’s 2022 deployable 40-kWe concept study
Why is continuous power useful on the Moon?
A lunar fission reactor could supply electricity independently of sunlight. DOE describes lunar nights as equivalent to 14 Earth days; NASA’s 2024 account gives 14.5 Earth days. That long dark period makes steady power valuable, as it is for locations in permanent shadow where solar power is limited. DOE, January 2026 · NASA Glenn, 2024
Power rating alone cannot tell you whether a reactor can run a particular base. The actual fit depends on electricity demand from the habitat, life support, mobility, science, thermal control, and resource processing, as well as distribution, storage, deployment, shielding, and redundancy. A reactor’s output must reach equipment and people safely; the NASA concept study treats that as a system-design problem, not simply a matter of choosing a kilowatt figure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What has actually been tested?
KRUSTY: a ground demonstration
NASA and DOE’s Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) experiment tested a small fission power system on Earth from November 2017 through March 2018. NASA reports that it used a uranium-235 core, sodium heat pipes, and Stirling engines. The campaign demonstrated the concept on the ground; it did not demonstrate multi-year operation on the Moon. NASA’s May 2, 2018 account of the KRUSTY demonstration
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSNAP-10A: a short historical space test
DOE reports that SNAP-10A generated 500 watts and operated for 43 days during its 1965 flight test. It is a real example of a space reactor operating in flight, but its output and duration are far below the power and service-life goals discussed for lunar surface systems. It does not verify a 10-year lunar runtime. DOE’s January 2026 overview
What to conclude about a Moon base’s reactor lifetime
The best-supported answer is that planners are pursuing multi-year, no-refueling operation, and an earlier NASA design description specified at least 10 years at up to 10 kWe. For the more recent effort, DOE describes a planned initial demonstration of at least one year and a system designed to last longer; the newer NASA notice for an at-least-100-kWe system does not specify an exact lifetime. No lunar reactor has yet demonstrated a decade of operation on the Moon.
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