NASA needs nuclear power for its moon base. Here’s the White House plan to get it
If the U.S. is ever to set up a permanent outpost on the moon, it will need nuclear power. The White House just released a road map to get it as soon as 2028
Why bombing Iran’s nuclear power plant could cause an environmental disaster
Strikes to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant could release long-lasting radioactive cesium 137 into the Persian Gulf, causing environmental calamity and threatening drinking-water supplies for millions
NASA’s Dragonfly will explore the air, land and seas of Titan, Saturn’s most mysterious moon
NASA plans to launch a wildly ambitious nuclear-powered octocopter to Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, in 2028
Can NASA launch a nuclear mission to Mars by 2028?
The U.S. space agency’s Skyfall project calls for sending robotic helicopters to Mars on a nuclear-powered spacecraft before the end of Donald Trump’s presidency
Modern rocketry turns 100—and NASA says the best is yet to come
A century after Robert Goddard’s first-ever launch of a liquid-fueled rocket, two NASA experts weigh in on what his legacy still holds for spaceflight’s future
The Pentagon is looking to nuclear waste for power
A Rhode Island start-up is working to recycle spent nuclear fuel into long-lasting power systems for the military
A Bill Gates–backed nuclear power plant just got cleared to start building
TerraPower, a start-up founded by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, is set to build a new kind of nuclear power plant in Wyoming
Loosening radiation exposure rules won’t speed up nuclear energy production
Relaxing radiation safety standards could place women and children at higher risks of health issues
Science Carries On. Here Are Our Top Topics for 2026
Whether space, health, technology or environment, here are the issues in science that the editors of Scientific American are focusing on for 2026
Chernobyl Nuclear Plant’s Protective Shield Has Been Damaged for Months
The site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster remains damaged, but so far, radiation levels outside the plant have not increased, according to officials
The mind-bending challenge of warning future humans about nuclear waste
Designing nuclear-waste repositories is part engineering, part anthropology—and part mythmaking
Here’s How a Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missile Works
Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed his nation conducted a successful flight of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. Here’s how that missile might work