Powering the Future of American Space Dominance Act

Key Points

• The bill directs NASA to update Congress on its plans for nuclear propulsion and power systems for deep space exploration, including specific milestones for demonstrating radioisotope heater units by 2028 and radioisotope power systems by 2030.
• NASA would be allowed to contract with at least two private companies using different energy technologies to provide power on the Moon, but companies can only receive up to 10% of their contract value before actually delivering power on the lunar surface.
• The bill requires NASA to produce a lessons-learned report from the failed joint NASA-DARPA nuclear rocket demonstration program, identifying technical, programmatic, and coordination failures to avoid repeating past mistakes.
• NASA must also report on existing legal frameworks for protecting private companies from liability when working with nuclear material in space, and recommend any new laws or regulations needed to fill gaps.
• The bill sets a sunset date of October 1, 2030 for NASA's authority to enter into lunar power purchase agreements, though any contracts signed before that date would continue until completed.