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EO 13972Executive OrderTrump 45 · R Quiet signal

Executive Order 13972

Promoting Small Modular Reactors for National Defense and Space Exploration

This executive order directs federal agencies to develop and demonstrate small modular nuclear reactors for domestic military installations and space exploration missions. It establishes timelines for the Defense Department to pilot micro-reactors and for NASA to define nuclear energy requirements for missions through 2040, while also supporting domestic production of high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel.

Federal Register Open PDF 86 FR 3727

Impact dates

  1. Technology roadmap through 2030 to be submitted to President

  2. DOE to complete 3-year HALEU enrichment demonstration

  3. Secretary of Defense to establish and implement micro-reactor demonstration plan

  4. NASA Administrator to define nuclear energy system requirements through 2040 and analyze costs/benefits

Key directives

  • Secretary of Defense shall within 180 days establish and implement plan to demonstrate NRC-licensed micro-reactor at domestic military installation
  • Secretary of Defense shall pilot transportable micro-reactor prototype
  • Secretary of Defense shall direct analysis of alternatives for personnel, regulatory, and technical requirements for nuclear power usage
  • Secretary of Defense shall direct analysis of US military uses for space nuclear power and propulsion and foreign adversaries' programs
  • NASA Administrator shall within 180 days define requirements for NASA utilization of nuclear energy systems for human and robotic exploration through 2040 and analyze costs and benefits
  • Secretary of Energy shall complete ongoing 3-year $115 million HALEU enrichment demonstration
  • Secretary of Energy shall develop plan to transition enrichment technology to private sector
  • Secretaries of State, Defense, Commerce, Energy and NASA Administrator shall develop common technology roadmap through 2030
  • Roadmap shall be submitted to President before budget proposal submissions by relevant agencies

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • EO issuance establishes policy framework
  • Secretary of Defense directed to begin planning micro-reactor demonstration

Near term (90d)

  • Secretary of Defense must establish and implement micro-reactor demonstration plan (180 days)
  • NASA Administrator must define nuclear energy system requirements through 2040 and analyze costs/benefits (180 days)

Long term

  • Technology roadmap through 2030 to be developed by multiple agencies
  • DOE to complete 3-year HALEU enrichment demonstration
  • Potential transition of enrichment technology to private sector
  • NASA nuclear energy requirements extend through 2040

Risks & tensions

  • EO explicitly subject to availability of appropriations, creating implementation uncertainty
  • No domestic commercial HALEU enrichment capability currently exists; 3-year demonstration may not resolve supply chain gap in time
  • NRC licensing timeline for micro-reactor demonstration unclear and potentially lengthy
  • Dual-use nature of nuclear technology creates nonproliferation tensions with stated goal of technology supremacy
  • Roadmap deadline vague: 'before submissions of budget proposals' not pinned to calendar date
  • Interagency coordination burden across five cabinet-level departments plus NASA may slow execution
Executive Order 13972: Promoting Small Modular Reactors for National Defense and Space Exploration · Executive Orders