Enabling Fission Surface Power Through Lunar Site Preparation

Since 2020, Astroport Space Technologies has built a focused portfolio of lunar surface construction and site preparation capabilities through multiple NASA Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) efforts. This work culminates in the current STTR Phase II effort centered on a lunar site preparation Concepts of Operations (ConOps), with a specific emphasis on enabling early deployment and long-term operation of Fission Surface Power (FSP) systems.\r\n\r\nPower-First Lunar Infrastructure Strategy\r\n\r\nSustained lunar operations depend on continuous, high-capacity surface power. Astroport’s current Phase II work advances a ”power-first” approach to lunar infrastructure by defining how autonomous systems prepare and stabilize lunar terrain to support early emplacement of surface nuclear reactors. The effort focuses on the operational steps required to ready reactor sites ahead of deployment, including grading and conditioning terrain, constructing hardened vaults and protective berms, and managing dust, ejecta, and other surface hazards that threaten high-value power assets. These site preparation activities are integrated with the sequencing of landing pads, power distribution systems, and future expansion infrastructure, ensuring that reactor deployment is not treated as a standalone event but as the foundational element of a larger, power-enabled surface architecture.\r\n\r\nBy addressing these challenges at the space civil engineering level, Astroport reduces risk to both the reactor and adjacent surface systems while enabling construction activity to continue through the lunar night under continuous nuclear power.