Commercial space is entering an era where success depends on more than breakthrough technologies. Sustained operations on the Moon and future missions to Mars will depend on reliable, high-performance power systems that can be designed, manufactured, tested, and delivered safely at commercial scale.

Many of those capabilities were developed long before today’s renewed interest in space nuclear power. Decades of experience innaval and terrestrial nuclear energy, such as Project PELE, naval propulsion, advanced manufacturing, and highly regulated industry are providing a foundation for the next generation of space power systems. BWXT is applying that knowledge to help build the nuclear capabilities that will support a permanent human presence on the Moon and expand exploration deeper into the solar system.

Experience Creates Opportunity

The growing interest in space nuclear power reflects years of steady investment in engineering, manufacturing, and workforce development.

Every reactor program advances materials, manufacturing techniques, quality systems, testing methods, and production processes that strengthen future programs. Over time, those investments create an industrial knowledge base that extends far beyond a single mission.

Joel Sema believes decades of terrestrial nuclear development are helping accelerate the commercial space economy. Experience gained through programs supporting NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of War has strengthened manufacturing capabilities, advanced materials, testing methods, and production expertise that are now preparing industry for lunar surface power, nuclear electric propulsion, and the next generation of deep-space exploration.

Manufacturing the Future

Designing a space reactor is only part of the challenge.

Commercial space also depends on a strong space & nuclear integration of larger reactors with efficient power conversion systems, large deployed heat rejection systems, safe and risk-based ground and space testing campaigns, validated supply chains, qualified radiation- and temperature-hardened components, repeatable manufacturing processes, rigorous space & nuclear quality standards, and the ability to deliver on budget and schedule.

A history of successful development programs has built the manufacturing expertise needed for the next era of commercial space. Validated supply chains, refined manufacturing techniques, proven production methods, and years of risk reduction are creating the industrial foundation required to support an increasing cadence of nuclear power systems for the Moon and future deep-space missions. Those investments have positioned BWXT to support upcoming programs such as NASA’s SR1 Freedom nuclear electric propulsion initiative while demonstrating how terrestrial manufacturing expertise can accelerate the commercialization of space nuclear power. 

One example illustrates that readiness. BWXT was able to design, procure, manufacture, test and deliver an engineering developmental unit (EDU) nuclear thermal propulsion reactor in less than 13 months, for like-flight testing at NASA, demonstrating how years of preparation, manufacturing readiness, and disciplined execution can accelerate deployment while reducing development risk.

For Sema, the achievement extended beyond building a reactor. It demonstrated that years of investment in people, processes, and manufacturing had prepared industry to respond as the commercial market for space nuclear systems continues to grow.

Scaling an Industry

One of the strongest indicators of a maturing market is the ability to build more than a single prototype.

Future lunar infrastructure, orbital transportation systems, and deep-space missions will require multiple reactors delivered on predictable schedules. That shift places manufacturing capability alongside technological innovation as a key driver of commercial success.

BWXT’s investments made over the past decade have prepared industry to scale production well beyond early demonstration programs, with the capability to deliver more than a reactor per year. Facilities, workforce development, specialized supply chains, and manufacturing experience are beginning to form the industrial base needed to support a growing commercial market.

As production capacity expands, the commercial space industry moves closer to treating advanced power systems as repeatable products instead of one-of-a-kind hardware.

Strengthening Two Markets

One of the interview’s most interesting themes was the relationship between terrestrial and space nuclear energy.

Growing electricity demand from AI data centers, advanced manufacturing, and other energy-intensive industries is driving renewed investment in advanced nuclear technologies. At the same time, commercial space requires compact, dependable power systems capable of supporting long-duration missions.

Progress in one market strengthens the other. Investments in terrestrial nuclear technology expand manufacturing capacity, workforce expertise, and supply chains that also benefit space programs. As commercial demand grows beyond Earth, those same capabilities help accelerate the development of a sustainable space economy.

The future of space nuclear power will certainly be shaped by innovative reactor designs. It will also depend on the industrial capability to design, manufacture, test, and deliver those systems safely, reliably, and at scale.

Permanent operations on the Moon and humanity’s expansion toward Mars will require more than visionary concepts. They will require trusted manufacturers, resilient supply chains, experienced workforces, and a culture where safety is embedded in every step of the process, even as production accelerates.

Exploration begins with a single mission. A commercial space economy grows through repeatable success. A lasting human presence beyond Earth will be built the same way.