This week on Pathfinder, we sit down with Lindsay Kaldon, NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project Manager, to explore NASA's plans for deploying small nuclear reactors on the Moon and Mars as part of the Artemis missions. Before her current role at NASA, Lindsay spent over a decade in the DoD, where she worked as an Air Force officer specializing in electronic warfare, keeping pilots safe at extreme altitudes. With a background in both electrical and nuclear engineering, Lindsay’s experience spans high-altitude spy planes, drones, and EMP defenses for Navy ships, giving her a unique perspective on technology in extreme environments.

In this episode, Lindsay walks us through NASA's efforts to deploy small nuclear reactors on the Moon as part of the Artemis missions and beyond. She also explains how her defense background prepared her for managing the technical and regulatory complexities of space nuclear power.

In addition, we cover:

The history of nuclear systems in space, from SNAP-10 to today's advancements
NASA's collaboration with industry partners
The role of nuclear power in supporting long-term lunar and Martian missions
The technical challenges of fission in space
The potential future of nuclear propulsion and energy solutions for space exploration

And much more…

• Chapters •

00:00 - Intro

00:28 - Lindsey's role at NASA

01:07 - Power reactors in space and when the project started

08:05 - Highly enriched uranium

10:21 - Importance of NASA's long-term nuclear goals

13:53 - RPS vs FSP

16:44 - Lindsey's background

24:14 - Why not work in a nuclear sub?

29:54 - How does the team evolve in the next 5 years?

35:26 - Why should a company bid for phase 1 of NASA's plan to return to the Moon?

38:01 - Overall architecture of NASA's FSP needs

40:43 - Supply chain problems

44:12 - Technical challenges of nuclear in space

50:16 - Who regulates space nuclear?

52:11 - DOD & NASA

57:33 - Milestones to look out for

01:00:21 - The state of nuclear on Earth

• Show notes •

NASA FSP website — https://www.nasa.gov/tdm/fission-surface-power/

Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam

Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace

Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace

Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes

• About us •

Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.

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Fission Surface Future, with Lindsay Kaldon (NASA)

Valley of Depth