"If successful, similar systems may be used to enable long distance space travel and a potential trip to Mars." by Ian DiMartino via sputniknews image: © AP Photo / NASA Humans last walked on the Moon in 1972 as part of the Apollo 17 mission. Now, NASA not only wants to return, they want to set up shop. NASA has awarded three design contracts for a nuclear reactor that could run on the Moon in its quest to return to and eventually establish a permanent human presence. The Department of Energy is collaborating with NASA on the project, which hopes to see not only the colonization of the Moon, but Mars as well. The plan is to have the nuclear fission reactor on the Moon by 2030 as part of the agency's Artemis project. The design contracts are worth $5 million each and were awarded to Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and XI, a collaboration of X-Energy and Intuitive Machines. The potential designs have not been revealed by the companies, but there are a few requirements the design will have