Summary: Lunar Reactor 1 – Phase 1 Task Order Statement of Work

This is a Statement of Work (SOW) for NASA's Lunar Reactor 1 (LR-1) Phase 1 Task Order, dated August 3, 2026 (Draft Version 5). The task requires development of a 20 kilowatt electrical fission power system through Preliminary Design Review (PDR) completion within 18 months of award. The contractor must design, build, and test a non-nuclear Engineering Test Unit (ETU) incorporating key subsystems including reactor heat transport, Brayton power conversion, heat rejection system, power management and distribution, and parasitic load radiator. The system utilizes High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel with closed-loop Brayton cycle power conversion, operates at the lunar south pole within 84°S to 90°S latitude, and must achieve 5 years of continuous operation at full power without maintenance. Key deliverables include the PDR-level design documentation, the ETU hardware with high-fidelity prototypes operated in thermal-vacuum conditions, radiation testing campaign for both ETU components and reactor materials, and supporting software for data acquisition and control.

The SOW establishes 31 specific system requirements addressing single reactor design, minimum 20 kilowatt power delivery after failure, 3 kilovolt RMS electrical interface, automatic operation, mass not exceeding 15 metric tonnes, orbital debris mitigation below 0.001 probability of breakup, radiation shielding limiting dose to 5 rem annually within 1 kilometer of the habituation zone, single failure tolerance to catastrophic events, emergency shutdown capability, fault detection and recovery, cyber security compliance with NIST SP 800-53, and Grade 1 electrical parts assurance. The contract references extensive design and construction standards from AIAA, NASA, MIL, DOE, and other standards bodies, and requires compliance with DOE standards for nuclear facility authorization, safety analysis, quality assurance, and facility safety. Supporting meetings include Kickoff and Planning Review, System Requirements Review, Test Readiness Reviews, monthly/quarterly Project Management Reviews, Technical Interchange Meetings, Hardware Demonstrations, and the final PDR at NASA Glenn Research Center at month 18.