The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has made conditional commitments to provide high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Radiant Industries, Inc. to meet near-term fuel needs.
The third round of HALEU allocations will support the SR-1 Freedom mission to Mars and Radiant’s deployment of a microreactor to the Air Force’s preferred location of Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado.
“Today’s allocations spotlight the importance of fueling advanced nuclear reactors for space exploration and national security,” said Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish. “The U.S. Department of Energy’s HALEU Availability Program is an important stepping-stone for the nuclear industry as we work to establish a domestic nuclear fuel supply in support of the American nuclear renaissance.”
HALEU is not currently available from domestic suppliers
Many advanced reactors need the material to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current technologies.
To help fill this gap, DOE created a process for nuclear developers to request HALEU material from DOE sources, including material from the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Eight companies have received HALEU commitments so far
DOE announced the first amounts of HALEU to five companies in April 2025. Three additional companies were selected for conditional commitments in August 2025 based on prioritization criteria established through the program. In the latest round, NASA is a first-time recipient, but this marks the second selection for Radiant who previously received HALEU to support the company’s demonstration reactor, Kaleidos.
As a next step, DOE will initiate the contracting process with NASA and Radiant to allocate the material. The HALEU Availability Program is ongoing, and DOE plans to continue HALEU allocations to additional companies in the future.
