The push for a new nuclear age to power the AI boom with next-generation reactors remains feasible, but it’s the U.S. military and NASA that are stepping in to expedite the development of even smaller nuclear—so-called microreactors—to power remote bases, revolutionize combat, and fuel deep-space exploration.
As the data center boom slows a bit and the nuclear hype wanes—stock valuations are down and planned IPOs are canceled—the federal government is stepping up funding to support the implementation of microreactors on domestic military bases by 2028. The tentative plans are to eventually extend their reach to remote bases in harsh weather conditions—potentially near combat zones—and eventually to lunar bases and the outer reaches of the solar system.
