A $33.6 million Kratos contract will fund a power conversion system for NASA’s planned Space Reactor-1 Freedom mission to Mars. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced the award on October 28, 2026, and will work as a subcontractor to Sierra Lobo.
Key Takeaways
- Kratos will design, build and deliver the system under Sierra Lobo’s NASA SpaceDOC III contract.
- The mission is targeted for launch in 2028 and is intended to demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion.
What the Kratos contract covers
Kratos will provide a compact, space-qualified closed Brayton cycle power conversion system. It is designed to convert heat from the spacecraft’s fission reactor into electricity for propulsion and other spacecraft operations.
The company will carry out the work for Sierra Lobo under the latter’s NASA SpaceDOC III contract. Kratos trades on Nasdaq under the ticker KTOS.
The planned Mars mission
NASA’s SR-1 Freedom mission plan calls for a Mars flyby and deployment of the SkyFall science payload. NASA describes SkyFall as three Mars helicopters derived from its Ingenuity helicopter design.
NASA lists a 2028 launch and 2029 target arrival. The spacecraft is intended to demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion beyond Earth’s orbit, with electric thrusters powered by the reactor rather than relying solely on conventional chemical propulsion.
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