The U.S. space agency will aim to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars—a first—in a bid to show that nuclear propulsion can be used to send missions into deep space

NASA plans to launch its first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft in 2028, a probe called Space Reactor-1 Freedom that will carry helicopters to Mars.

NASA’s new exploration strategy includes the rapid development of a nuclear-powered mission to Mars in 2028, leveraging Gateway hardware.

The mission, called Space Reactor-1 Freedom (SR-1 Freedom), is set to launch in December 2028. This mission aims to showcase the use of nuclear fission in space to power electric thrusters. While nuclear technology has been around for decades, it lacked the drive, purpose, destination, and leadership—until now.

NASA plans to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by 2028, a major step for deep space exploration and its planned moon base.

NASA is preparing to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft toward Mars in 2028, a mission that would carry next-generation helicopter hardware capable of scouting terrain from the air. The effort ties together two of the agency’s most ambitious technology tracks: fission-based propulsion for deep-space travel and rotorcraft designed to fly in the thin Martian atmosphere.

NASA has big, potentially revolutionary plans coming up. On March 24, the agency announced that it wants to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028. If successful, it would be the first probe to use nuclear propulsion to travel beyond Earth’s orbit.