Posting of the Presidential Policy Directive 6 (Space Policy), “National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion”, 83923-83927 [2020-28457]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83923-83927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28457]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Posting of the Presidential Policy Directive 6 (Space Policy), 
``National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion''

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Presidential Policy Directive 6 (Space Policy) directs 
implementation of the National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and 
Propulsion. The Secretary is authorized and directed to publish the 
Memorandum in the Federal Register.

DATES: Presidential Policy Directive 6 was signed on December 16, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about this 
Notice, please contact Ms. Tracey Bishop, Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Nuclear Infrastructure Programs, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874; phone: 301-903-5543; email to: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Presidential Policy Directive Memorandum: 
National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion.
    Memorandum for: The Vice President; The Secretary of State; The 
Secretary of Defense; The Secretary of Commerce; The Secretary of 
Transportation; The Secretary of Energy; The Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget; The Assistant to the President for National 
Security Affairs; The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration; The Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission; The Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy.
    Section 1. Policy. The ability to use space nuclear power and 
propulsion (SNPP) systems safely, securely, and sustainably is vital to 
maintaining and advancing United States dominance and strategic 
leadership in space. SNPP systems include radioisotope power systems 
(RPSs) and fission reactors used for power or propulsion in spacecraft, 
rovers, and other surface elements. SNPP systems can allow operation of 
such elements in environments in which solar and chemical power are 
inadequate. They can produce more power at lower mass and volume 
compared to other energy sources, thereby enabling persistent presence 
and operations. SNPP systems also can shorten transit times for crewed 
and robotic spacecraft, thereby reducing radiation exposure in harsh 
space environments.
    National Security Presidential Memorandum-20 (NSPM-20) of August 
20, 2019 (Launch of Spacecraft Containing Space Nuclear Systems), 
updated the process for launches of spacecraft containing space nuclear 
systems. It established it as the policy of the United States to 
''develop and use space nuclear systems when such systems safely enable 
or enhance space exploration or operational capabilities.''
    Cooperation with commercial and international partners is critical 
to achieving America's objectives for space exploration. Presidential 
Policy Directive 4 of June 28, 2010 (National Space Policy), as amended 
by the Presidential Memorandum of December 11, 2017 (Reinvigorating 
America's Human Space Exploration Program), established it as the 
policy of the United States to ``[l]ead an innovative and sustainable 
program of exploration with commercial and international partners to 
enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to 
Earth new knowledge and opportunities.''
    This memorandum establishes a national strategy to ensure the 
development and use of SNPP systems when appropriate to enable and 
achieve the scientific, exploration, national security, and commercial 
objectives of the United States. In the context of this strategy only, 
the term ``development'' includes the full development process from 
design through testing and production, and the term ``use'' includes 
launch, operation, and disposition. This memorandum outlines high-level 
policy goals and a supporting roadmap that will advance the ability of 
the United States to use SNPP systems safely, securely, and 
sustainably. The execution of this strategy will be subject to relevant 
budgetary and regulatory processes and to the availability of 
appropriations.
    Section 2. Goals. The United States will pursue goals for SNPP 
development and use that are both mission-enabling and ambitious in 
their substance and their timeline. These goals will enable a range of 
existing and future space missions, with the aim of accelerating 
achievement of key milestones, including in-space demonstration and use 
of new SNPP capabilities. This

[[Page 83924]]

memorandum establishes the following such goals for the Nation:
    (a) Develop uranium fuel processing capabilities that enable 
production of fuel that is suitable to lunar and planetary surface and 
in-space power, nuclear electric propulsion (NEP), and nuclear thermal 
propulsion (NTP) applications, as needed. These capabilities should 
support the ability to produce different uranium fuel forms to meet the 
nearest-term mission needs and, to the extent feasible, should maximize 
commonality--meaning use of the same or similar materials, processes, 
designs, or infrastructure--across these fuel forms. To maximize 
private-sector engagement and cost savings, these capabilities should 
be developed to enable a range of terrestrial as well as space 
applications, including future commercial applications;
    (b) Demonstrate a fission power system on the surface of the Moon 
that is scalable to a power range of 40 kilowatt-electric (kWe) and 
higher to support a sustained lunar presence and exploration of Mars. 
To the extent feasible, this power system should align with mission 
needs for, and potential future government and commercial applications 
of, in-space power, NEP, and terrestrial nuclear power;
    (c) Establish the technical foundations and capabilities--including 
through identification and resolution of the key technical challenges--
that will enable options for NTP to meet future Department of Defense 
(DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission 
requirements; and
    (d) Develop advanced RPS capabilities that provide higher fuel 
efficiency, higher specific energy, and longer operational lifetime 
than existing RPS capabilities, thus enabling survivable surface 
elements to support robotic and human exploration of the Moon and Mars 
and extending robotic exploration of the solar system.
    Section. 3. Principles. The United States will adhere to principles 
of safety, security, and sustainability in its development and use of 
SNPP systems, in accordance with all applicable Federal laws and 
consistent with international obligations and commitments.
    (a) Safety. All executive departments and agencies (agencies) 
involved in the development and use of SNPP systems shall take 
appropriate measures to ensure, within their respective roles and 
responsibilities, the safe development, testing, launch, operation, and 
disposition of SNPP systems. For United States Government SNPP 
programs, the sponsoring agency holds primary responsibility for 
safety. For programs involving multiple agencies, the terms of 
cooperation shall designate a lead agency with primary responsibility 
for safety in each stage of development and use.
    (i) Ground development. Activities associated with ground 
development, including ground testing, of SNPP systems shall be 
conducted in accordance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws 
and existing authorities of regulatory agencies.
    (ii) Launch. NSPM-20 established safety guidelines and safety 
analysis and review processes for Federal Government launches of 
spacecraft containing space nuclear systems, including SNPP systems, 
and for launches for which the Department of Transportation has 
statutory authority to license as commercial space launch activities 
(commercial launches). These guidelines and processes address launch 
and any subsequent stages during which accidents may result in 
radiological effects on the public or the environment--for instance, in 
an unplanned reentry from Earth orbit or during an Earth flyby. Launch 
activities shall be conducted in accordance with these guidelines and 
processes.
    (iii) Operation and disposition. The operation and disposition of 
SNPP systems shall be planned and conducted in a manner that protect 
human and environmental safety and national security assets. Fission 
reactor SNPP systems may be operated on interplanetary missions, in 
sufficiently high orbits, and in low-Earth orbits if they are stored in 
sufficiently high orbits after the operational part of their mission. 
In this context, a sufficiently high orbit is one in which the orbital 
lifetime of the spacecraft is long enough for the fission products to 
decay to a level of radioactivity comparable to that of uranium-235 by 
the time it reenters the Earth's atmosphere, and the risks to existing 
and future space missions and of collision with objects in space are 
minimized. Spacecraft operating fission reactors in low-Earth orbits 
shall incorporate a highly reliable operational system to ensure 
effective and controlled disposition of the reactor.
    (b) Security. All agencies involved in the development and use of 
SNPP systems shall take appropriate measures to protect nuclear and 
radiological materials and sensitive information, consistent with sound 
nuclear nonproliferation principles. For United States Government SNPP 
programs, the sponsoring agency holds primary responsibility for 
security. For programs involving multiple agencies, the terms of 
cooperation shall designate a lead agency with primary responsibility 
for security in each stage of development and use. The use of highly 
enriched uranium (HEU) in SNPP systems should be limited to 
applications for which the mission would not be viable with other 
nuclear fuels or non-nuclear power sources. Before selecting HEU or, 
for fission reactor systems, any nuclear fuel other than low-enriched 
uranium (LEU), for any given SNPP design or mission, the sponsoring 
agency shall conduct a thorough technical review to assess the 
viability of alternative nuclear fuels. The sponsoring agency shall 
provide to the respective staffs of the National Security Council, the 
National Space Council, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
and the Office of Management and Budget a briefing that provides 
justification for why the use of HEU or other non-LEU fuel is required, 
and any steps the agency has taken to address nuclear safety, security, 
and proliferation-related risks. The Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy shall ensure, through the National Science and 
Technology Council, that other relevant agencies are invited to 
participate in these briefings.
    (c) Sustainability. All agencies involved in the development and 
use of SNPP systems shall take appropriate measures to conduct these 
activities in a manner that is suitable for the long-term sustainment 
of United States space capabilities and leadership in SNPP.
    (i) Coordination and Collaboration. To maximize efficiency and 
return on taxpayer investment, the heads of relevant agencies shall 
seek and pursue opportunities to coordinate among existing and future 
SNPP development and use programs. Connecting current efforts with 
likely future applications will help ensure that such programs can 
contribute to long-term United States SNPP capabilities and leadership. 
Agencies also shall seek opportunities to partner with the private 
sector, including academic institutions, in order to facilitate 
contributions to United States SNPP capabilities and leadership. To 
help identify opportunities for collaboration, the heads of relevant 
agencies should conduct regular technical exchanges among SNPP 
programs, to the extent that such exchanges are consistent with the 
principle of security and comply with applicable Federal, State, and 
local laws. Agencies shall coordinate with the Department of State when 
seeking opportunities for international partnerships.
    (ii) Commonality. The heads of relevant agencies shall seek to 
identify and use opportunities for commonality among SNPP systems, and 
between

[[Page 83925]]

SNPP and terrestrial nuclear systems, whenever doing so could advance 
program and policy objectives without unduly inhibiting innovation or 
market development, or hampering system suitability to specific mission 
applications. For example, opportunities for commonality may exist in 
goals (e.g., demonstration timeline), reactor design, nuclear fuels 
(e.g., fuel type and form, and enrichment level), supplementary systems 
(e.g., power conversion, moderator, reflector, shielding, and system 
vessel), methods (e.g., additive manufacturing of fuel or reactor 
elements), and infrastructure (e.g., fuel supply, testing facilities, 
launch facilities, and workforce).
    (iii) Cost-effectiveness. The heads of relevant agencies should 
pursue SNPP development and use solutions that are cost-effective while 
also consistent with the principles of safety and security. For any 
program or system, the heads of such agencies should seek to identify 
the combination of in-space and ground-based testing and certification 
that will best qualify the system for a given mission while ensuring 
public safety.
    Section. 4. Roles and Responsibilities. (a) The Vice President, on 
behalf of the President and acting through the National Space Council, 
shall coordinate United States policy related to use of SNPP systems.
    (b) The Secretary of State shall, under the direction of the 
President, coordinate United States activities related to international 
obligations and commitments and international cooperation involving 
SNPP.
    (c) The Secretary of Defense shall conduct and support activities 
associated with development and use of SNPP systems to enable and 
achieve United States national security objectives. When appropriate, 
the Secretary of Defense shall facilitate private-sector engagement in 
DoD SNPP activities.
    (d) The Secretary of Commerce shall promote responsible United 
States commercial SNPP investment, innovation, and use, and shall, when 
consistent with the authorities of the Secretary, ensure the 
publication of clear, flexible, performance-based rules that are 
applicable to use of SNPP and are easily navigated. Under the direction 
of the Secretary of Commerce, the Department of Commerce (DOC) shall 
ascertain and communicate the views of private-sector partners and 
potential private-sector partners to relevant agency partners in order 
to facilitate public-private collaboration in SNPP development and use.
    (e) The Secretary of Transportation's statutory authority includes 
licensing commercial launches and reentries, including vehicles 
containing SNPP systems. Within this capacity, the Secretary of 
Transportation shall, when appropriate, facilitate private-sector 
engagement in the launch or reentry aspect of SNPP development and use 
activities, in support of United States science, exploration, national 
security, and commercial objectives. To help ensure the launch safety 
of an SNPP payload, and consistent with 51 U.S.C. 50904, a payload 
review may be conducted as part of a license application review or may 
be requested by a payload owner or operator in advance of or apart from 
a license application.
    (f) The Secretary of Energy shall, in coordination with sponsoring 
agencies and other agencies, as appropriate, support development and 
use of SNPP systems to enable and achieve United States scientific, 
exploration, and national security objectives. When appropriate, the 
Secretary of Energy shall work with sponsoring agencies and DOC to 
facilitate United States private-sector engagement in Department of 
Energy (DOE) SNPP activities. Under the direction of the Secretary of 
Energy and consistent with the authorities granted to DOE, including 
authorities under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (AEA), as amended, 42 
U.S.C. 2011, et seq., DOE may authorize ground-based SNPP development 
activities, including DOE activities conducted in coordination with 
sponsoring agencies and private-sector entities. As directed in NSPM-
20, the Secretary of Energy shall maintain, on a full-cost recovery 
basis, the capability and infrastructure to develop, furnish, and 
conduct safety analyses for space nuclear systems for use in United 
States Government space systems.
    (g) The Administrator of NASA shall conduct and support activities 
associated with development and use of SNPP systems to enable and 
achieve United States space science and exploration objectives. The 
Administrator of NASA shall establish the performance requirements for 
SNPP capabilities necessary to achieve those objectives. When 
appropriate, the Administrator of NASA shall facilitate private-sector 
engagement in NASA SNPP activities, and shall coordinate with the 
Secretary of Commerce and, as appropriate, the Secretary of State and 
the Secretary of Energy, to help facilitate private-sector SNPP 
activities.
    (h) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has statutory authority 
under the AEA for licensing and regulatory safety and security 
oversight of commercial nuclear activities taking place within the 
United States. The NRC should, as appropriate and particularly in 
circumstances within NRC authority where DOE regulatory authorities 
cannot be applied, enable private-sector engagement in SNPP development 
and use activities in support of United States science, exploration, 
national security, and commercial objectives.
    (i) The Director of the Office and Science and Technology Policy 
shall coordinate United States policy related to research and 
development of SNPP systems.
    Section. 5. Roadmap. The United States will pursue a coordinated 
roadmap for federally-supported SNPP activities to achieve the goals 
and uphold the principles established in this memorandum. This roadmap 
comprises the following elements, which the relevant agencies should 
pursue consistent with the following objective timeline, subject to 
relevant budgetary and regulatory processes and to the availability of 
appropriations:
    (a) By the mid-2020s, develop uranium fuel processing capabilities 
that enable production of fuel that is suitable for lunar and planetary 
surface and in-space power, NEP, and NTP applications, as needed.
    (i) Identify relevant mission needs. DoD and NASA should provide to 
DOE any mission needs (e.g., power density, environment, and timelines) 
relevant to the identification of fuels suitable for planetary surface 
and in-space power, NEP, and NTP applications.
    (ii) Identify candidate fuel or fuels. DoD and NASA, in cooperation 
with DOE and private-sector partners, as appropriate, should identify 
candidate fuel or fuels to meet the identified mission requirements. 
This review and assessment should account for current and expected 
United States capabilities to produce and qualify for use candidate 
fuels, and for potential commonality of fuels or fuel variants across 
multiple planetary surface and in-space power, in-space propulsion, and 
terrestrial applications.
    (iii) Qualify at least one candidate fuel. DoD and NASA, in 
cooperation with DOE and private-sector partners, as appropriate, 
should qualify a fuel or fuels for demonstrations of a planetary 
surface power reactor and an in-space propulsion system. While seeking 
opportunities to use private-sector-partner capabilities, agencies 
should ensure that the Federal Government retains an ability for 
screening and qualification of candidate fuels.

[[Page 83926]]

    (iv) Supply fuel for demonstrations. DOE, in cooperation with NASA 
and DoD, and with private-sector partners, as appropriate, should 
identify feedstock and uranium that can be made available for planetary 
surface power and in-space propulsion demonstrations. DOE shall ensure 
that any provision of nuclear material for SNPP will not disrupt 
enriched uranium supplies for the United States nuclear weapons program 
and the naval propulsion program, and that SNPP needs are included 
among broader considerations of nuclear fuel supply provisioning and 
management.
    (b) By the mid- to late-2020s, demonstrate a fission power system 
on the surface of the Moon that is scalable to a power range of 40 kWe 
and higher to support sustained lunar presence and exploration of Mars.
    (i) Initiate a surface power project. NASA should initiate a 
fission surface power project for lunar surface demonstration by 2027, 
with scalability to Mars exploration. NASA should consult with DoD and 
other agencies, and with the private sector, as appropriate, when 
developing project requirements.
    (ii) Conduct technology and requirements assessment. NASA, in 
coordination with DoD and other agencies, and with private-sector 
partners, as appropriate, should evaluate technology options for a 
surface power system including reactor designs, power conversion, 
shielding, and thermal management. NASA should work with other 
agencies, and private-sector partners, as appropriate, to evaluate 
opportunities for commonality among other SNPP needs, including in-
space power and terrestrial power needs, possible NEP technology needs, 
and reactor demonstrations planned by NASA, other agencies, or the 
private sector.
    (iii) Engage the private sector. DOE and NASA should determine a 
mechanism or mechanisms for engaging with the private sector to meet 
NASA's SNPP surface power needs in an effective manner consistent with 
the guiding principles set forth in this memorandum. In evaluating 
mechanisms, DOE and NASA should consider the possibility of NASA 
issuing a request for proposal for the development and construction of 
the surface power reactor system or demonstration.
    (iv) System development. NASA should work with DOE, and with other 
agencies and private-sector partners, as appropriate, to develop the 
lunar surface power demonstration project.
    (v) Conduct demonstration mission. NASA, in coordination with other 
agencies and with private-sector partners, as appropriate, should 
launch and conduct the lunar surface power demonstration project.
    (c) By the late-2020s, establish the technical foundations and 
capabilities--including through identification and resolution of the 
key technical challenges--that will enable NTP options to meet future 
DoD and NASA mission needs.
    (i) Conduct requirements assessment. DoD and NASA, in cooperation 
with DOE, and with other agencies and private-sector partners, as 
appropriate, should assess the ability of NTP capabilities to enable 
and advance existing and potential future DoD and NASA mission 
requirements.
    (ii) Conduct technology assessment. DoD and NASA, in cooperation 
with DOE, and with other agencies and private-sector partners, as 
appropriate, should evaluate technology options and associated key 
technical challenges for an NTP system, including reactor designs, 
power conversion, and thermal management. DoD and NASA should work with 
their partners to evaluate and use opportunities for commonality with 
other SNPP needs, terrestrial power needs, and reactor demonstration 
projects planned by agencies and the private sector.
    (iii) Technology development. DoD, in coordination with DOE and 
other agencies, and with private-sector partners, as appropriate, 
should develop reactor and propulsion system technologies that will 
resolve the key technical challenges in areas such as reactor design 
and production, propulsion system and spacecraft design, and SNPP 
system integration.
    (d) By 2030, develop advanced RPS capabilities that provide higher 
fuel efficiency, higher specific energy, and longer operational 
lifetime than existing RPS capabilities, thus enabling survivable 
surface elements to support robotic and human exploration of the Moon 
and Mars and extending robotic exploration of the solar system.
    (i) Maintain RPS capability. Mission sponsoring agencies should 
assess their needs for radioisotope heat source material to meet 
emerging mission requirements, and should work with DOE to jointly 
identify the means to produce or acquire the necessary material on a 
timeline that meets mission requirements.
    (ii) Engage the private sector. NASA, in coordination with DOE and 
DOC, should conduct an assessment of opportunities for engaging the 
private sector to meet RPS needs in an effective manner consistent with 
the guiding principles established in this memorandum.
    (iii) Conduct technology and requirements assessment. NASA, in 
coordination with DOE and DoD, and with other agencies and private-
sector partners, as appropriate, should assess requirements for next-
generation RPS systems and evaluate technology options for meeting 
those requirements.
    (iv) System development. DOE, in coordination with NASA and DoD, 
and with other agencies and private-sector partners, as appropriate, 
should develop one or more next-generation RPS system or systems to 
meet the goals of higher fuel efficiency, higher specific energy, and 
longer operational lifetime for the required range of power.
    Section. 6. Implementation. The Vice President, through the 
National Space Council, shall coordinate implementation of this 
memorandum.
    Section. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum 
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or 
agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable 
law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any 
right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in 
equity by any party against the United States, its departments, 
agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other 
person.
    (d) The Secretary of Energy is authorized and directed to publish 
this memorandum in the Federal Register.
    Dated: December 16, 2020.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on December 
18, 2020, by Dr. Rita Baranwal, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, 
Department of Energy, pursuant to delegated authority from the 
Secretary of Energy. That document with the original signature and date 
is maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in 
compliance with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the 
undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to 
sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as 
an official document of the Department of Energy. This

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administrative process in no way alters the legal effect of this 
document upon publication in the Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on December 18, 2020.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020-28457 Filed 12-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P