Astronauts may utilize spacesuits with small nuclear heaters in future missions to the Moon and Mars to protect against extreme cold.

NASA awarded a $175,000 nine-month grant through its Innovative Advanced Concepts program to Zeno Power Systems to investigate using small radioactive heaters to keep astronauts warm on the Moon.

As part of Project EARENDIL (Extended Astronaut Radioisotope-EVA in Nighttime and Deep-space Icy Landscapes), the study will investigate whether compact americium-241 thermal heaters are feasible to use in spacesuits.

Americium-241 is a common radioactive byproduct of nuclear reactors.

Temperatures in areas of the moon that never receive direct sunlight, such as the base of craters, and in other areas during the two-week lunar night can plunge as low as -410 degrees. That's 281 degrees colder than the record lowest surface temperature on Earth (-128.6 degrees in Antarctica).

At those extreme temperatures, traditional batteries would be both too heavy and wouldn't work for long time periods. This could allow for longer spacewalks and guard against potential power failures.

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The project is being lead by A.C. Charania, Zeno's senior Vice Presidents of space business development and a former NASA chief technologist.

It could be a critical capability to support NASA's Artemis program's planned exploration of the Moon and Mars.

The Phase I study will assess spacesuit compatibility, radiation dose rates, human factors, and heating requirements. If successful, NASA may grant follow-up funding for further development and testing.

EARENDIL is an acronym taken from J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales of Middle-earth. In “The Silmarillion,” Eärendil is a half-Elven mariner who voyaged to the Undying Lands.