On October 1, 2026, the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII), a Canadian non-profit research organization, announced the establishment of the Canadian Centre for Space Isotopes, which will study radioisotopes for space exploration. The goal is to apply the technology and industrial base Canada has built up through medical isotope production to heat and power sources that can run spacecraft where sunlight barely reaches.
The new centre will carry out policy research and industry collaboration through 2030. In early 2027, it plans to publish a report on the possibility of Canada entering the space isotope supply market.
However, producing an isotope in a reactor does not by itself yield fuel that can be loaded onto a spacecraft. The irradiated material must be purified, processed into a safe fuel form, and then built into a power generation device. The key question going forward is how Canada can connect its nuclear expertise to a steady supply of heat sources that can fly on spacecraft.
Applying medical isotope experience to space exploration
In announcing the centre, NII explained that a global shortage of the radioisotopes needed for future space missions has become a problem.
The centre will bring together experts from the nuclear and space industries to carry out policy research and cross-industry collaboration. NII President and CEO Jessica Linthorne also cited connecting the necessary stakeholders as a purpose of the centre, so that Canada can enter the market as a future supplier.
The participating experts include people from the nuclear power operator Bruce Power, the nuclear company BWXT, and the technical services company Kinectrics.
Making a heat source for space requires more than a business that secures the source nuclide. Multiple steps must be linked together: irradiation, chemical separation, fuel processing, and integration into a power system. The lineup of participating companies suggests the aim is an effort spanning the entire nuclear industry rather than a single research facility.
The announcement, however, does not give specific production volumes, the reactors to be used, or where the finished fuel would be delivered. No date has been published for when manufacturing facilities might begin operating. What has started at this point is the creation of a hub for policy research and industry collaboration.
Nor did NII put numbers on the global shortage it points to, such as inventory levels or the size of the shortfall.
A "nuclear battery for space" that produces about 110 W for years
NASA's Mars rover Perseverance is one example that helps explain how space radioisotopes are used.
The power source aboard Perseverance generates about 110 W of electricity at launch. Its heat source uses about 4.8 kg of plutonium oxide. This is not a specification of any device Canada is planning, but a representative example of an existing space power source.
The device, called the MMRTG, is a type of radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) that converts the heat produced by the natural decay of a radioisotope into electricity.
Because it uses thermoelectric elements to draw power from a temperature difference, it needs no moving parts such as turbines. Heat that is not used for generating electricity can also be used to keep the rover's instruments warm in cold environments.
At 110 W, the output may not seem large. What matters is that it can supply power and heat for a long period without depending on sunlight.
When Perseverance's power demand temporarily exceeds what the MMRTG generates, two lithium-ion batteries make up the difference. The RTG supplies steady power, while the batteries cover momentary peaks.
The half-life of plutonium-238 (Pu-238), the heat source, is about 88 years, but that does not mean it keeps generating the same output for 88 years.
According to NASA's specifications for Perseverance, power output declines by a few percent per year from about 110 W at launch. The MMRTG itself has a design life of 14 years, so the radioisotope's half-life and the generator's design life need to be considered separately.
Nor do all spacecraft heading far from the Sun use RTGs. NASA cites its Jupiter probe Juno as an example where solar cells were developed that work in weak sunlight and cold conditions.
The appropriate power source varies with lighting conditions, the amount of power required, the size of the solar panels, and the thermal needs of the instruments. RTGs broaden the options in places where darkness and cold are especially severe.
Making an isotope in a reactor doesn't mean it can go straight onto a spacecraft
On the centre's website, NII introduces neptunium-237 (Np-237) as the raw material for making Pu-238.
Np-237 is chemically separated from spent nuclear fuel and other sources and processed into targets for irradiation in a reactor. Neutrons then convert it into another nuclide, and Pu-238 is obtained after decay.
In other words, materials found at nuclear facilities are not used as-is as fuel for space.
Several steps are still needed after irradiation. A supply chain study published by the European Space Agency (ESA) in June 2026 describes a process in which irradiated material is cooled for up to two years, then chemically separated and purified to obtain the target product.
This is a condition of the process assumed in that study, and does not mean every production method uses a uniform two-year cooling period. Even so, it shows that going from securing raw material to completing space-grade fuel takes time and dedicated facilities.
Looking at the U.S. production system makes clearer what steps lie in between.
According to a 2023 report from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), plutonium oxide produced there is sent to Los Alamos National Laboratory, where it is processed into fuel wrapped in multiple protective materials. It is then assembled into RTGs at Idaho National Laboratory, and the finished power source is transported to the launch site.
Producing a radioisotope and completing a power source that can be loaded onto a spacecraft are separate processes.
There are reasons for the fuel's form and protective structure as well.
NASA explains that making the plutonium fuel for Perseverance a ceramic makes it less likely to break into fine particles in an accident, reducing the risk that radioactive material would be dispersed in the air or taken into the body.
The heat source modules are also surrounded by multiple protective materials, in a structure designed with accidents such as ground impact and atmospheric re-entry in mind.
This is one example of the technology needed when moving from producing medical isotopes to fuel processing and safety design for space.
Therefore, judging whether Canada can enter the space isotope supply market takes more than owning reactors and raw materials.
A supply system for spacecraft exists only when it connects facilities that can purify irradiated material, the ability to process it into a safe heat source, and a company that can integrate that heat source into a power system such as an RTG.
The U.S., Europe and Canada are at different stages
The U.S. shipment results from 2023, Europe's supply chain study from June 2026, and the establishment of Canada's centre in October 2026 each represent a different stage.
| Subject and date of announcement | What the published material shows | How it differs from future plans |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. – ORNL, September 15, 2023 | Reported shipping 550 g in June of that year. Explained the division of roles from shipping plutonium oxide to fuel processing and RTG assembly | A record of a single shipment. It also set a goal of 1.5 kg per year by 2026, but is not a document showing that the goal was met or what total production in 2026 was |
| Europe – ESA, June 3, 2026 | Published study results finding a Pu-238 supply chain using existing facilities feasible, mainly on technical and economic grounds | An assessment showing a path to realization by 2039; not an announcement that mass-production facilities have begun operating |
| Canada – NII, October 1, 2026 | Announced the establishment of a centre to carry out policy research and industry collaboration on space isotopes | A report is planned for early 2027. Production volumes, reactors to be used, delivery destinations and facility start dates have not been disclosed |
This table separates work actually completed from future plans, based on the ORNL shipment report, the ESA supply chain study and the NII announcement.
Because the dates and subjects differ, it is not a ranking that compares current production capacity.
Reading Canada's announcement as "the start of space isotope production" in particular would overlook the important steps that follow, such as purification, fuel processing and integration into RTGs.
The ESA study indicates the possibility of securing raw materials and irradiation facilities within Europe, but names coordination among the organizations involved, building the supply chain, and aligning regulatory procedures as major challenges.
Being technically able to make something is different from being able to keep supplying it as a stable business. Seen in that light, it is easier to understand why NII is starting with policy research and industry collaboration.
Nuclides other than Pu-238 are also options
In Europe, work is also under way on space power sources that use radioisotopes other than Pu-238.
ESA's ENDURE program is developing systems based on americium-241 (Am-241). When considering the supply of space power sources, what matters is not only how much Pu-238 production can be increased, but also which nuclide is used and how efficiently heat can be converted into electricity.
In Japan, the JAXA Space Strategy Fund selected on March 13, 2026 a project by Daikin Industries to develop thermoelectric elements aimed at making RTGs more efficient.
The project outline explains that Am-241 produces about one-fifth the heat of Pu-238, so about five times as much heat source material is needed to obtain the same thermal energy.
The project therefore aims to raise power generation efficiency by developing thermoelectric materials matched to the insulation structure and operating temperature range.
The "five times" figure, however, compares the amount of heat source required; it does not mean the mass of a finished RTG as a whole would be five times greater.
Selection for research and development also supports the start of a project, and does not indicate demonstration in space or commercialization of a finished product.
How clear will the path to production be in the 2027 report?
The report NII plans for early 2027 will be an important gauge of how far Canada's concept can be connected to actual manufacturing and supply.
Where will the raw materials come from? Which reactor will do the irradiation? Who will handle post-irradiation purification and fuel processing? And how much can be supplied, starting when?
The next focus will be whether policy research can concretely link these steps and the businesses involved.
In the announcement of the centre, Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce referred to Canada's track record in medical isotopes and a plan to double their production by 2030.
This, however, is not a promise to double production of Pu-238 for space. Medical and space uses call for different nuclides, different processing methods and different end uses.
To apply the experience of Canada's nuclear industry to power sources for space exploration, it will need to clarify the division of roles across securing raw materials, reactor irradiation, chemical separation, fuel processing and RTG integration, and also identify specific customers for spacecraft supply.
If it can show the quantities and timing for steady supply, Canada's nuclear industry could take on the role of providing an important energy source for space probes that keep observing for long periods in dark, cold environments with little sunlight.