NASA wants to put nuclear reactor on the moon, hopes to support lunar lifeBy Heather Brinkmann, FOX Weather
June 26, 2022
NASA is one step closer to finalizing nuclear power some 238,900 miles away from Earth.
The space agency and the US Department of Energy have selected three design concept proposals for a fission surface power system that would be stationed on the moon.
The hope is that a nuclear reactor would produce the power needed to operate rovers, conduct experiments and help support life.
Scientists say that the concepts for the technology will benefit future exploration under the Artemis umbrella and will be ready to launch by the end of the decade.
The contracts fund the development of initial design concepts for a 40-kilowatt class fission power system planned to last at least 10 years in the lunar environment and valued at approximately $5 million each, NASA says. Forty kilowatts of power is enough to run 30 households for ten years continuously.
The Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory will award 12-month contracts to the following companies to each develop preliminary designs:
* * *
Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/06/26/nasa-wants-to-put-nuclear-reactor-on-the-moon/
