NASA targets nuclear-electric propulsion with SR-1 Freedom, rebooting Voyager-era power talk
NASA is pursuing Space Reactor-1 Freedom, a 20-kilowatt fission reactor to power a nuclear-electric propulsion system for an interplanetary mission planned for 2028; the NEP approach would use reactor-generated electricity to run an ion engine, a shift from RTGs that have powered Voyager for decades. The project sits in NASA's long history of space nuclear power (SNAP, SNAP-10A, DRACO) with safety and regulatory hurdles still in play; Voyager probes remain RTG-powered and active.