News Excerpt:
Recently, NASA announced that it is finishing the initial phase of its ambitious plan to build a small electricity-generating nuclear reactor on the Moon.
Pictorial representation of the project:
About the Fission Surface Power Project:
- Fission surface power can provide abundant and continuous power regardless of environmental conditions on the Moon and Mars.
- The project aims to develop safe, clean and reliable energy sources on the moon.
- Such a system would play a big role in NASA's Artemis program for lunar exploration.
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Artemis Program
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- It is focused on developing concept designs for a small, electricity-generating nuclear fission reactor that could be used during a future demonstration on the Moon and to inform future designs for Mars.
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Nuclear Fission:
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- Under this project, NASA awarded three $5 million contracts in 2022, tasking each commercial partner with developing an initial design that included following:
- Reactor
- Power conversion, Heat rejection, and Power management and Distribution systems
- Estimated costs and a development schedule that could pave the way for powering a sustained human presence on the lunar surface for at least 10 years.
- Under this project, NASA worked with the Department of Energy (DOE, U.S.A.) and industry to design a fission power system that would provide at least 40 kilowatts of power, enough to continuously run 30 households for ten years.
- NASA and the DOE announced contracts to three companies: - Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and IX (a joint venture of Intuitive Machines and X-Energy) for the initial phase back in 2022.
Significance of the Nuclear fission reactor in the project:
- Solar power systems have limitations on the Moon, a nuclear reactor could be placed in permanently shadowed areas (where there may be water ice) and still generate power continuously during lunar nights, which are 14-and-a-half Earth days long.
- It produces power without any dependence on weather and other conditions.
- It could play an important role in bolstering NASA’s ambitions to have a sustained human presence on the Moon for at least 10 years.
Conclusion:
NASA's Fission Surface Power Project marks a pivotal step in lunar exploration, aiming to establish a sustainable energy source through nuclear fission. By leveraging its partners' expertise, the project seeks to overcome the limitations of solar power, ensuring continuous electricity supply for future missions and prolonged human presence on the Moon.
