Promoting Small Modular Reactors for National Defense and Space Exploration

Executive Order 13972 of January 5, 2021

Promoting Small Modular Reactors for National
Defense and Space Exploration

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Purpose. Nuclear energy is critical to
United States national security. That is why I have
taken a series of actions to promote its development
and facilitate its use. On June 29, 2017, I announced
an initiative to revive and expand the nuclear energy
sector and directed a complete review of United States
nuclear energy policy to help find new ways to
revitalize this crucial energy resource. On July 12,
2019, I signed a Presidential Memorandum entitled ``The
Effect of Uranium Imports on the National Security and
Establishment of the United States Nuclear Fuel Working
Group,'' with the goal of examining the current state
of domestic nuclear fuel production and reinvigorating
the nuclear fuel supply chain, consistent with United
States national security and nonproliferation goals. On
August 20, 2019, I signed National Security
Presidential Memorandum-20, entitled ``Launch of
Spacecraft Containing Space Nuclear Systems,'' calling
for development and use of space nuclear systems to
enable or enhance space exploration and operational
capabilities.

The purpose of this order is to take an important
additional step to revitalize the United States nuclear
energy sector, reinvigorate America's space exploration
program, and develop diverse energy options for
national defense needs. Under this action, the United
States Government will coordinate its nuclear
activities to apply the benefits of nuclear energy most
effectively toward American technology supremacy,
including the use of small modular reactors for
national defense and space exploration. This work is
critical to advancing my Administration's priorities
for the United States to lead in research, technology,
invention, innovation, and advanced technology
development; its mission to promote and protect the
United States national security innovation base; its
drive to secure energy dominance; and its commitment to
achieving all of these goals in a manner consistent
with the highest nuclear nonproliferation standards.

The United States was the first nation to invent and
develop the technology to harness nuclear energy. Since
the 1950s, the United States Navy has been operating
and advancing transportable nuclear reactors, resulting
in powerfully enhanced marine propulsion for its
aircraft carriers and allowing nuclear-powered
submarines to remain submerged for extended periods of
time.

The United States must sustain its ability to meet the
energy requirements for its national defense and space
exploration initiatives. The ability to use small
modular reactors will help maintain and advance United
States dominance and strategic leadership across the
space and terrestrial domains.

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States
to promote advanced reactor technologies, including
small modular reactors, to support defense installation
energy flexibility and energy security, and for use in
space exploration, guided by the following principles:

(a) A healthy and robust nuclear energy industry is
critical to the national security, energy security, and
economic prosperity of the United States;

(b) The United States should maintain technology
supremacy for nuclear research and development,
manufacturing proficiency, and security and safety; and
(c) The United States Government should bolster
national defense and space exploration capabilities and
enable private-sector innovation of advanced reactor
technologies.
Sec. 3. Demonstration of Commercial Reactors to
Enhance Energy Flexibility at a Defense Installation.
(a) Micro-reactors have the potential to enhance energy
flexibility and energy security at domestic military
installations in remote locations. Accordingly, the
Secretary of Defense shall, within 180 days of the date
of this order, establish and implement a plan to
demonstrate the energy flexibility capability and cost
effectiveness of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission-
licensed micro-reactor at a domestic military
installation.
(b) If the demonstration is successful, the
Secretary of Defense shall identify opportunities at
domestic military installations where this capability
could enhance or supplement the fulfillment of
installation energy requirements. In identifying these
opportunities, the Secretary of Defense shall take into
account considerations that are unique to national
defense needs and requirements that may not be relevant
in the private sector, such as:

(i) the ability to provide resilient, independent energy delivery to
installations in the event that connections to an electrical grid are
compromised;

(ii) the ability to operate for an extended period of time without
refueling;

(iii) system resistance to disruption from an electro-magnetic pulse event;
and

(iv) system cybersecurity requirements.

Sec. 4. Defense Capabilities. (a) The Department of
Defense is one of the largest consumers of energy in
the world, using more than 10 million gallons of fuel
per day and 30,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity per
year, nearly all of which is provided through civilian
electrical grids. Fuel demands for a modern United
States military have dramatically grown since World War
II and are anticipated to continue to increase in order
to support high-energy-usage military systems. In this
context, nuclear power could significantly enhance
national defense power capabilities.

(b) The Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation
with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce,
the Secretary of Energy, and the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA
Administrator):

(i) determine whether advanced nuclear reactors can be made to benefit
Department of Defense future space power needs;

(ii) pilot a transportable micro-reactor prototype;

(iii) direct an analysis of alternatives for personnel, regulatory, and
technical requirements to inform future decisions with respect to nuclear
power usage; and

(iv) direct an analysis of United States military uses for space nuclear
power and propulsion technologies and an analysis of foreign adversaries'
space power and propulsion programs.

Sec. 5. Space Exploration. (a) Nuclear power sources
that use uranium fuel or plutonium heat sources are
essential to deep space exploration and in areas where
solar power is not practical. NASA uses radioisotope
power systems, such as radioisotope thermoelectric
generators and radioisotope heater units, to provide
power and heat for deep space robotic missions. Nuclear
power sources in the kilowatt range may be needed for
demonstrating In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and
robotic exploration of permanently shadowed craters on
the Moon that contain frozen water. Nuclear reactors up
to 100 kilowatts may be needed to support human
habitats, ISRU, other facilities, and rovers on both
the Moon and Mars. Power sources in the

megawatt range would be necessary for efficient, long-
duration deep space propulsion. Affordable, lightweight
nuclear power sources in space would enable new
opportunities for scientific discovery. The sustainable
exploration of the Moon, Mars, and other locations will
be enhanced if small modular reactors can be deployed
and operated remotely from Earth.

(b) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the
NASA Administrator, in consultation with heads of other
executive departments and agencies (agencies), as
appropriate, shall define requirements for NASA
utilization of nuclear energy systems for human and
robotic exploration missions through 2040 and analyze
the costs and benefits of such requirements. In
defining these requirements, the NASA Administrator
shall take into account considerations unique to the
utilization of nuclear energy systems in space, such
as:

(i) transportability of a reactor prior to and after deployment;

(ii) thermal management in a reduced- or zero-gravity environment in a
vacuum or near-vacuum;

(iii) fluid transfer within reactor systems in a reduced or zero-gravity
environment;

(iv) reactor size and mass that can be launched from Earth and assembled in
space;

(v) cooling of nuclear reactors in space;

(vi) electric power requirements;

(vii) space safety rating to enable operations as part of human space
exploration missions;

(viii) period of time for which a reactor can operate without refueling;
and

(ix) conditioning of reactor components for use in the space environment.

Sec. 6. Domestic Fuel Supply. (a) A thriving and secure
domestic nuclear fuel supply chain is critical to the
national interests of the United States. A viable
domestic nuclear fuel supply chain not only supports
defense and national security activities, but also
enables the success of the commercial nuclear industry.
Many advanced reactor concepts, however, will require
high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU), for which no
domestic commercial enrichment capability currently
exists. The United States must take steps to ensure a
viable United States-origin HALEU supply.

(b) The Secretary of Energy shall complete the
Department of Energy's ongoing 3-year, $115 million
demonstration of a United States-origin enrichment
technology capable of producing HALEU for use in
defense-related advanced reactor applications. Within
funding available for the demonstration project, the
Secretary of Energy should develop a plan to promote
successful transition of this technology to the private
sector for commercial adoption.
(c) The Secretary of Energy shall consult with the
Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, and the NASA Administrator
regarding how advanced fuels and related technologies
can best support implementation of sections 3, 4, and 5
of this order.

Sec. 7. Common Technology Roadmap. (a) The Secretary of
State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of
Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, and the NASA
Administrator shall develop a common technology roadmap
through 2030 that describes potential development
programs and that coordinates, to the extent
practicable, terrestrial-based advanced nuclear reactor
and space-based nuclear power and propulsion efforts.
Agencies shall remain responsible for funding their
respective mission-unique requirements. The roadmap
shall also include, at a minimum:

(i) assessments of foreign nations' space nuclear power and propulsion
technological capabilities;

(ii) pathways for transitioning technologies developed through Federally
supported programs to private-sector activities; and

(iii) other applications supporting the goals provided in section 1 of this
order.

(b) The roadmap shall be submitted to the President
by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget,
the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy, the Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for
Economic Policy, and the Executive Secretary of the
National Space Council before submissions of budget
proposals by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of
Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, and the NASA
Administrator.

Sec. 8. Definitions. For purposes of this order:

(a) The term ``small modular reactor'' refers to an
advanced nuclear reactor of electric generation
capacity less than 300 megawatt-electric. Because of
the smaller size, small modular reactors can generally
be designed for factory fabrication and modular
construction to take advantage of economies of serial
production and shorter construction times.
(b) The term ``micro-reactor'' refers to a nuclear
reactor of electric generation capacity less than 10
megawatt-electric that can be deployed remotely. Micro-
reactors are a subset of small modular reactors and are
also known as ``very small modular reactors.''
(c) The term ``transportable micro-reactor'' refers
to a micro-reactor that can be moved by truck, ship, or
large military transport aircraft and is capable of
both rapid deployment and teardown or removal,
typically with safe teardown or removal less than 1
week after 1 year of full-power operation.
(d) The term ``space exploration'' refers to in-
space scientific and resource exploration, in-space
economic and industrial development, and development of
associated in-space logistical infrastructure.
(e) The term ``national defense'' refers to the
protection of the United States and its interests from
foreign attack or other natural danger, including
phenomena occurring on Earth and in space.

Sec. 9. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
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 order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.

(c) This order 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.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

January 5, 2021.