NASA's nuclear-powered Mars spacecraft to cost over $2B

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's plan to build a nuclear-powered spacecraft and send it to Mars is expected to cost more than $2 billion, Report informs, citing POLITICO.

NASA said early estimates put the cost of the mission, called Space Reactor-1 Freedom, at about $2.1 billion. The agency said the figure would be refined during the acquisition process.

The cost estimate comes as NASA is handling several major programs, including returning humans to the Moon and building a lunar outpost, while working with what is expected to be a flat budget.

According to a document sent to Congress and seen by POLITICO, NASA plans to spend $640 million on the program in fiscal 2026, $890 million in 2027, $415 million in 2028 and $180 million in 2029. The money will come from the agency's exploration account and funding received through last year's reconciliation bill.

However, the estimate does not include the cost of SkyFall, the science mission the spacecraft is expected to carry to Mars. NASA has not released a cost estimate for SkyFall, and Mars researchers have warned that it could draw money away from the agency's science budget.

The mission is planned for launch in late 2028 and would be the first flight demonstration of nuclear electric propulsion. The spacecraft is intended to deliver three helicopters to Mars to collect scientific data and identify possible water sources.

NASA officials have said they plan to use existing hardware to meet the accelerated timeline. The agency will repurpose the Power and Propulsion Element originally built for Gateway, a lunar space station canceled earlier this year, to serve as the spacecraft. NASA is also working with the Department of Energy to design and assemble the reactor.

NASA said the SkyFall helicopters would be funded partly through the science directorate's Mars Future Missions budget line, but declined to provide a cost estimate.