[en] The current 100-kW/sub e/ space nuclear power technology program could provide an electric power source for nuclear electric propulsion. The power plant is relatively compact, light weight, and has the advantages of long life and immunity to degradation while passing through the Van Allen belts. The reactor is a unique design using heat pipes to transfer heat from the reactor core to the thermoelectric converters. The converters are an improved design over those used in the radioisotope space program. The radiator, used to eliminate waste heat to space, also makes use of heat pipes. All single failure points have been eliminated from the power plant design and redundancies are provided to ensure high reliability. The power plant configuration and some key results of the current component experimental program are discussed