21 January 2023 by Michael Sharpe
In terms of propulsion, NASA’s efforts have aimed to advance proposals for nuclear-thermal and nuclear-electric propulsion systems. In the former case, a nuclear reactor is used to heat propellants like liquid hydrogen (LH2); in the latter, the reactor generates electricity for a magnetic engine that ionizes an inert gas like xenon (a.k.a. Ion Propulsion).
See https://www.inverse.com/science/power-on-moon-lunar-night