“What would be required to maintain a human settlement during a two-week lunar darkness? The response is straightforward for NASA and the Department of Energy: a miniature nuclear reactor capable of providing reliable power outside the range of the Earth’s power grid.”
Agencies involved agreed to develop a fission surface power system on the Moon. Implementation of this system is expected to take place in the early 2030s. This particular mission is part of NASA’s Artemis mission. Its purpose is to act as a testing ground for missions to Mars. This power system entails a reactor that can sustain safe and reliable electricity without having to be refueled regardless of the temperature or sunlight.
Unlike solar panels, which have a crippling night that takes two weeks for every lunar cycle, the nuclear reactor could be used to power the habitats and life support systems, the rovers, the scientific instruments, and even the resource extraction facilities. “The lunar night is challenging from a technical perspective, so having a source of power such as this nuclear reactor, which operates independent of the Sun, is an enabling option for long-term exploration and science efforts on the Moon,” Trudy Kortes, the director of the Technology Demonstration Missions Program at NASA Headquarters.
The design concepts called for by NASA in 2022 and awarded to the commercial firms had power levels of about 40 kilowatts and were below six metric tons. This level of power can support several dozens of houses on the surface of the Earth. The design concepts included reactor design, power conversion, cooling designs, and autonomous controls. There was considerable flexibility in the design concepts.
However, safety is always a key consideration. This is because the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Board is composed of members of seven different agencies who review the safety of a mission before it can be launched into space. This is because of the history of radioisotope thermoelectric generators being utilized to power missions like Curiosity and Perseverance, which are currently on Mars.
Size and complexity are higher with the Moon mission because of the power needed to support the mission for a period of a decade with a one-year initial demonstration mission. It has to withstand the harsh environment that exists on the surface of the Moon. They are also working on using Brayton cycle converters that would improve the efficiency of power generation from the heat of the reactor, which is achieved using thermoelectric converters.
The acting administrator of NASA, Sean Duffy, has encouraged a fast-tracked approach with procurements that need to be met in a short timeframe. This directive must be accompanied by a 100 kW capability, which relies on heavy-class landers in delivering the capability to the Moon. Despite it being a tight timeline in the opinion of some critics, it appears that it’s a way for NASA to focus their attention.
However, the use of the applications is not limited to the Moon. For instance, the successful demonstration of a nuclear reactor could also be useful on Mars, a planet characterized by frequent dust storms, making it not ideal for the production of solar energy, given the planet’s far location from the Sun. It would instead open the way to the creation of a high-powered propulsion system, the use of resources, or the establishment of human bases on the farthest reaches of the solar system instead of Earth.
Thus, the nuclear reactor on the Moon is far more than an engineering feat—it’s the cornerstone for the next phase of space exploration, for the creation of the first human settlements on the Moon, or the first human As the agencies start to fine-tune their needs in order to be ready for the next phase of development, it’s a reminder that life on other planets begins with a good, high-output source of energy. And if nuclear energy is the foundation, then perhaps it will turn out to be the answer for making short visits a reality.