Italy’s National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (Enea) has signed an agreement with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to design a “compact, light, reliable and safe” mini-nuclear reactor capable of producing energy for future lunar bases and the subsequent colonisation of Mars and deep space.

ENEA and ASI will outline the characteristics of the “made in Italy” reactor, identify possible operational scenarios such as lunar, Martian and deep space exploration and investigate critical technologies. They will carry out a cost-benefit analysis and define a R&D roadmap.

“The basic principles for the design of the reactor are modularity, easy expansion of available power and the redundancy of essential systems to guarantee maximum reactor safety,” Mariano Tarantino, head of ENEA’s division of nuclear safety and sustainability said.