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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The United States is intensifying the development of nuclear-powered spacecraft equipped with small reactors for long-distance space exploration, such as Mars colonization.

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) under the U.S. Department of Defense signed contracts on the 17th (local time) with American companies specializing in "4th generation high-temperature gas small modular reactors," including USNC and Avalence Energy, to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft using small reactors, aiming for experimental tests in 2027.

USNC plans to develop and supply EmberCore, a rechargeable encapsulated nuclear radiation battery. Last year, the company secured a contract from the U.S. Idaho National Laboratory to develop a nuclear thermal propulsion reactor for NASA's space exploration missions. Additionally, USNC is subcontracted by General Atomics and Blue Origin to conduct research projects on nuclear propulsion systems for spaceflight under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the U.S. Department of Defense. This project aims to complete the development of the nuclear propulsion system by 2025 and conduct experiments. It is known that South Korea's Hyundai Engineering has invested and holds shares in this project.

Avalence Energy, separately, is developing and supplying a portable small fusion reactor called "Orbitron."

Ryan With, DIU program manager, stated, "These two programs aim to complement NASA and DARPA's plans by developing small spacecraft with high mobility that use nuclear fusion and radioactive isotopes as energy sources," adding, "Solar power or chemical energy will ultimately not be able to supply the energy needed for future (long-distance) exploration missions."