Canada Seeks Lunar Microreactor Ideas From Industry
The Canadian Space Agency has asked companies, universities and utilities what they could contribute to a compact fission reactor on the Moon.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Nuclear
The Canadian Space Agency posted a request for information on October 27 asking Canadian companies, universities, utilities and labs what they could contribute to a lunar microreactor. The agency defines the microreactor as a compact fission reactor supplying up to 100 kilowatts of electricity on the lunar surface.
Why it matters
The Canadian Space Agency sees fission complementing solar panels and batteries, providing power through the two-week lunar night and in craters where sunlight is scarce. The request for information will not lead to a contract, but it shapes which Canadian capabilities the agency considers for future lunar power.
The request lists 16 capability areas and sets a planning envelope of roughly 20 to 80 kilowatts of continuous power, with a 100-kilowatt maximum output. Responses are due November 23 at 2 p.m. Eastern, and no contract will follow directly from the exercise.
The players
Canadian Space Agency
The federal agency that issued the request for information and manages Canada's participation in lunar exploration programs.
NASA
The United States space agency that is pursuing its own fission reactor, targeting at least 100 kilowatts on the Moon by 2030.
MDA Space
A Canadian space technology company that received a 2022 Canadian Space Agency award to study a lunar nuclear power concept.
The details
The request invites respondents to challenge the agency's assumptions and propose alternatives, and it does not assume a single Canadian entity would deliver the whole system. The agency is building on earlier work, including a 2022 $250,000 award to MDA Space for a Canadian-led concept of a lunar nuclear power system.
Timeline
2022: MDA Space awarded $250,000 for a lunar nuclear power concept.
2024: Canadian Strategic Missions Corporation licensed SLOWPOKE-based technology from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
June 2026: Four Lunar Surface Exploration Initiative contracts worth $2 million in total were awarded.
October 27, 2026: The Canadian Space Agency posted the lunar microreactor request for information.
November 23, 2026, 2 p.m. Eastern: Deadline for responses.
Big Picture
Canada's request follows NASA's stated goal of a 100-kilowatt lunar fission reactor by 2030, positioning Canadian industry to contribute to a comparable power system. The effort builds on the Canadian Space Agency's 2022 lunar nuclear concept award to MDA Space.
Canadian companies and universities with nuclear, power or space expertise can respond to the request by the November 23 deadline. The outcome may influence which domestic capabilities are considered for future lunar power projects.
The takeaway
Fission power is being weighed as a complement to solar and battery systems for lunar missions that must operate through long nights and in shadowed craters. Canadian industry now has a defined window to show what it can contribute.
What happens next
Responses to the lunar microreactor request for information are due November 23, 2026, at 2 p.m. Eastern.
Further reading
Explore more on Nuclear developments shaping Canada's space ambitions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SpaceQ.
