The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plays a crucial role in the space industry by providing essential technologies and research support for space exploration and national security missions. It acts as a key partner with NASA and other agencies in developing space-based power systems, including radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) and fission surface power systems, which provide electricity and heat in the harsh conditions of space. The DOE also contributes to space science research, particularly in understanding dark matter and dark energy, and supports the development of quantum technologies for space applications. Keywords associated with the DOE's space involvement include radioisotope power systems, space nuclear power, quantum technology, NASA partnerships, and space exploration.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
NASA is partnering with the Department of Energy to design and assemble SR-1.
NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy have set a target to have a lunar reactor operating by 2030.
The Fission Surface Power program is co-developed by NASA and the Department of Energy.
The Department of Energy has held full and open competitions for five of its 16 federally funded research and development center management and operations contracts over the past 10 years.
The Rubin Observatory is a joint program of NSF NOIRLab and the U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
The 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera was built by the U.S. Department of Energy and mounted on the 4-meter NSF Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.
The Dark Energy Survey is led by the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Critical Materials Institute has identified germanium wafer domestication as a gap.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.
The Department of Energy’s Exascale Computing Initiative ran from 2016 to 2024 and developed applications and software needed to use exascale-capable hardware effectively.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is a multidisciplinary national laboratory managed by the University of California for the Department of Energy Office of Science.
The University of California manages Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Interlune has secured funding and contracts from NASA, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Texas Space Commission, and several commercial customers.
Interlune has nearly $500 million in binding purchase orders for helium-3, including agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy and multiple quantum computing companies.
The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.
The Legacy Survey of Space and Time is a collaboration between NSF and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Dark Energy Camera was built by the U.S. Department of Energy and mounted on the 4-meter Víctor M. Blanco telescope at the NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.
NASA and the Department of Energy have developed nuclear space power concepts in-house and through national laboratories since the Kilopower program began in earnest after 2015.
National Security and Technology Memorandum-3 directs NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense to coordinate on design, development, testing, and training requirements for space nuclear power.
National Security and Technology Memorandum-3 directs NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense to leverage private industry resources where possible.