LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — The Space Nuclear Power Corporation, widely known as SpaceNukes, has announced that it has been awarded a significant Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The contract falls under DARPA’s innovative Fast Capacitance, or Fat Cat, program, which is actively managed by Dr. Tabitha Dodson within the agency’s Defense Sciences Office. The overarching objective of the Fat Cat program is to radically advance autonomous reactor operations specifically tailored to meet critical national security missions. Furthermore, the newly secured agreement directly supports the comprehensive development and subsequent ground testing of advanced reactor control technologies. This crucial initiative is designed to substantially extend the demonstrated technological capabilities and operational readiness of American nuclear power for both terrestrial and aerospace applications.
This latest award effectively extends a continuous, highly specialized line of nuclear power development, building directly upon SpaceNukes’ already successful nuclear power demonstration heritage. The historical foundation for this work was laid in 2018, when key members of the current SpaceNukes engineering team—while still employed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration—successfully executed the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology, or KRUSTY, project. That landmark undertaking stands as the only full-power ground test of an entirely new American space nuclear reactor conducted in five decades. Under the terms of the newly minted agreement, SpaceNukes will once again partner closely with the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Together, the organizations will design, build, and execute a follow-on nuclear ground test centered on a Kilopower reactor. Crucially, this new iteration will incorporate active control rod operation, representing a major technological advancement beyond the passively controlled architecture that was successfully demonstrated during the 2018 KRUSTY test.
The integration of active control mechanisms allows for dynamic power management, giving operators the ability to adjust reactor output rapidly in response to shifting environmental or operational demands. Leadership at SpaceNukes has emphasized that this new contract serves as a formal validation of the deep technical expertise and long-term continuity embodied by the engineers who originally brought the KRUSTY concept to life. Patrick McClure, the Chief Operating Officer of SpaceNukes, noted that the award rightfully recognizes the maturity and consistency of the team that designed, built, and tested KRUSTY back in 2018. McClure expressed great enthusiasm for the upcoming collaboration, stating that the company is proud to work alongside Dr. Tabitha Dodson and the researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory to deliver the next demonstrated, tangible step forward in the evolution of American nuclear power capabilities.
To achieve its ambitious objectives, the program has been structured around a rigorous phased approach. This architecture includes distinct design, procurement, and integration gates that ultimately lead up to the final ground demonstration. Through this structured progression, the project will yield both physical, nuclear-tested hardware and a robust engineering basis for autonomous, actively-controlled reactor operation. The physical integration work required for the program will be conducted at SpaceNukes’ specialized workshop located in Medina, Ohio, under the direct technical leadership of Chief Engineer Marc Gibson. This strategic placement of engineering and testing resources positions American industry to provide highly reliable, resilient nuclear power across a much broader and more demanding range of future mission profiles. Such capabilities are expected to be particularly vital for missions requiring dynamic power management and rapid automated responses under rapidly changing operational conditions.
The strategic importance of moving from theoretical designs to physical, tested hardware cannot be overstated within the defense and aerospace sectors. Andy Phelps, the Chief Executive Officer of SpaceNukes, underscored this philosophy, pointing out that there is simply no substitute for demonstrated technology when vital American national security objectives are genuinely at stake. Phelps explained that this new DARPA award provides the organization with the necessary resources to advance the pioneering work that was initially begun under the KRUSTY program, thereby bringing yet another thoroughly tested and validated capability forward to serve the nation. By combining autonomous control systems with proven fission technology, the initiative aims to provide defense planners with reliable, long-lasting power sources capable of operating independently in remote or contested environments where traditional power generation methods are impractical or vulnerable.
Space Nuclear Power Corporation was originally founded on the fundamental premise that nuclear fission power is absolutely essential to humanity’s future, both on Earth and across the broader expanse of space. The company’s core corporate goal is to enable the successful, routine deployment of fission reactors for space exploration and national security applications. SpaceNukes uniquely brings together the core engineering and program management personnel who were responsible for the foundational KRUSTY demonstration in 2018. This experienced roster includes David Poston, who serves as the Chief Technology Officer, and Patrick McClure as Chief Operating Officer, both of whom performed their foundational work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. They are joined by Marc Gibson, who serves as the Chief Engineer and previously led related programs at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The leadership team is further bolstered by aerospace and nuclear experts including Omar Mireles, formerly of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and Chief Executive Officer Andy Phelps.
To execute its mission, SpaceNukes holds a critical license from the Los Alamos National Laboratory for the underlying Kilopower technology. The company operates primarily from its headquarters based in Los Alamos, New Mexico, alongside specialized workshops in the same region equipped with advanced additive manufacturing and 3D printing capabilities. Additionally, the company maintains its thermal and vacuum testing capabilities at its facility in Medina, Ohio. Through this combination of intellectual property, specialized laboratory access, and advanced manufacturing workshops, SpaceNukes remains uniquely positioned to transition advanced nuclear concepts from computational models into fully realized, hardware-tested power systems for the United States government and its commercial partners.
