Producing electricity on the lunar surface via small nuclear-powered plants. This is the goal of the all-Italian SELENE project (Lunar Energy System with Nuclear Energy) funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and led by ENEA, in collaboration with the Energy Department at the Politecnico di Milano and Thales Alenia Space (Thales 63% and Leonardo 33%) in Italy. SELENE, which was among the winners of an ASI funding call in 2023 for the development of scientific experiments on the Moon, aims to study techniques for producing energy on our satellite, overcoming the limitations of traditional energy technologies. Four ENEA research centers are involved in the project: Frascati, Casaccia, Bologna and Brasimone.
The goal of the infrastructure called the Moon Energy Hub (MEnH), will be to provide a stable energy base for future lunar settlements using small fission nuclear reactors, the Surface Nuclear Reactors (SNR).
“Italy is strongly committed to lunar exploration and the establishment of a permanent lunar base. As for energy supply, current solutions based on solar power do not meet the challenging energy requirements for future lunar activities due to the 14-day alternating cycles of light and darkness. The search for an adequate technological solution represents a significant research field for ASI,” says Angelo Olivieri, head of the ASI Scientific Missions Department.
“Looking ahead, these innovations could overcome the limitations of solar panels, which have shown low power density, poor scalability, short operational lifespan, and vulnerability to cosmic radiation,” highlights the project coordinator, Francesco Lodi, a researcher at the ENEA Laboratory for Nuclear Systems Design and Analysis. “In this sense, the MEnH represents a revolutionary step in lunar exploration, positioning itself at the heart of the strategy to expand human capabilities on the Moon.”
In addition to designing energy conversion and distribution systems and SNRs, ENEA researchers will analyze decommissioning aspects, supply chains, and create a roadmap for industrializing the infrastructure.
The three-year SELENE project will enable the development of advanced technologies and solutions also in areas such as sensor technology, high automation, and wireless power transmission. It will also explore one of the most challenging technologies for SNRs through an experimental test: heat dissipation, with the goal of validating system performance and increasing technological maturity.
“By combining technological innovation, strategic vision, operability, reliability, and compactness in an extremely demanding environment like the Moon, the MEnH aims to become a cornerstone for future space exploration and a reference point for defining a clear operational scenario and roadmap for achieving it,” emphasizes Mariano Tarantino, head of ENEA’s Nuclear Systems Division. “Coordinating SELENE allows us to confirm ENEA’s role in the nuclear space sector both nationally and internationally, becoming the link between the industrial sector and the research community engaged in space exploration, a path that began with the ASI-ENEA agreement for the first feasibility study of a nuclear reactor to power lunar bases,” Tarantino concludes.
On the topic of lunar base & energy Thales Alenia Space in Italy and Politecnico di Milano are already collaborating since some years, investigating innovative solutions like high efficiency light – weight batteries, wireless energy transmission and micro nuclear Reactors .
A key aspect of the project is its ability to respond to energy load variations and manage power interruptions. Therefore, energy storage systems are planned to ensure flexibility and operational reliability. The MEnH will also feature an orientable power transmission system to support activities away from the generation center, as well as a mobile reception system for less energy-intensive activities.
