The latest award was among more than 20 national space projects to be awarded funding totalling GBP33 million under the National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), designed to invest in high-potential technologies, drive innovation and unlock growth across the UK.
Over the next 18 months, in collaboration with academic partners from the University of Oxford and Bangor University, the Rolls-Royce project will develop the whole microreactor system design, underlying capabilities and key technologies.
"The programme will help unlock the UK's participation in the developing space nuclear power markets and clearly demonstrate the UK's capability and readiness to move towards a detailed design," Rolls-Royce said. "An initial flight demonstration is anticipated by the end of this decade."
"We are delighted to win this award from the National Space Innovation Programme and to be continuing our collaboration with the UK Space Agency," said Jake Thompson, director of Novel Nuclear & Special Projects at Rolls-Royce. "This funding is a pivotal point in our microreactor programme and will accelerate our technology progression, bringing us a step closer to powering inspiring human endeavours in space.
"The future of space exploration is greatly dependent on the ability to generate high levels of consistent power and our nuclear microreactor is the solution that will offer safe, reliable and flexible power to a broad range of space missions."
UK Space Agency CEO Paul Bate added: "The National Space Innovation Programme will help kickstart growth, create high-quality jobs, protect our planet and preserve the space environment for future generations. New projects like this one, led by Rolls-Royce, go to the heart of what we want to achieve as a national space agency that supports cutting-edge innovation, spreads opportunity across the UK and delivers the benefits of space back to citizens on Earth."
The Rolls-Royce National Space Innovation Programme will have a total project cost of GBP9.1 million and aims to progress the microreactor's overall technology readiness level, which will bring the reactor closer to a full system space flight demonstration.
This latest investment follows the announcement of GBP1.18 million awarded to Rolls-Royce from the UK Space Agency in April this year, under Phase 2 of the International Bi-Lateral Fund. This was preceded by GBP2.9 million of funding awarded in 2023 under the Lunar Surface Nuclear Power Contract and Phase 1 of the IBF project in 2023, which delivered an initial concept of a UK lunar modular nuclear reactor.
