Lunar night survival becomes an imperative
“Surviving the lunar night has crossed a critical threshold: what was once a ‘nice-to-have’ is now the imperative for any serious lunar mission. We’re seeing this ‘survive, operate, thrive’ progression play out in real time: we’ve proven we can land repeatedly, now we’re focused on surviving that brutal two-week night at -250°C, then operating through it, and ultimately building the distributed infrastructure that lets us truly thrive. Missions originally scoped for short-term surface operations are being examined for lunar night survival. We see the evolution of landers with larger payload capabilities and more services, lunar night survival will be even more important for these larger landers.” —Tyler Bernstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeno Power
Space nuclear power goes mainstream
“Radioisotope power systems are becoming the most promising long-term power solution for a multitude of lander and mobility operators. When we talk with mission planners today, RPS is a primary choice because it’s reliable and enables missions in extreme environments. More experimental solutions remain years away in R&D. There’s growing recognition across agencies and internationally that nuclear isn’t optional for serious lunar ambitions. You simply cannot survive two-week lunar nights, thrive in permanently shadowed craters, or eventually support Mars surface missions without it. The technical and political alignment is accelerating.” —Tyler Bernstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeno Power
Mars enters Artemis planning
“For the first time, we’re seeing Mars truly integrated into Artemis planning – not just as rhetoric, but as actual program architecture. The framework is dual-use systems: prove it on the moon, apply it to Mars. Surviving the Martian environment is even more demanding than lunar night, so the thermal management and power systems being developed now must ladder directly into Mars capability. In 2026, agencies will begin explicitly articulating what ‘surviving on Mars’ requires, and space nuclear power systems sit at the center of that conversation.” —A.C. Charania, SVP of Space Business Development at Zeno Power
Regulatory momentum — policy catches up to technology
“We’re encouraged to finally see policy momentum catching up to technological advances. Real progress on launch indemnification in 2026 will de-risk commercial space operations – this is foundational for commercial investment and scaling the industry. Equally significant, we’re seeing the beginning of serious international regulatory engagement on space nuclear power for the first time in 16 years. The UN and International Atomic Energy Agency are organizing conferences driven by U.S. programs, European interest in radioisotope power systems, and China’s lunar ambitions. This international dialogue will reduce future geopolitical friction and unlock essential technology for all deep-space endeavors.” —Alex Gilbert, VP of Regulation at Zeno Power
Tyler Bernstein is co-founder and CEO, A.C. Charania is SVP of Space Business Development, and Alex Gilbert is VP of Regulation at Zeno Power.
This article first appeared in the January 2026 issue of SpaceNews Magazine.
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