The United States plans to build nuclear reactors for use on the Moon and on Mars that would allow humans to inhabit them for long periods of time, and is asking for help from the private sector to do so.
Washington wants to have a “Fission Surface Energy System” ready to go into space in late 2026, according to a formal request filed by the Department of Energy on Friday and addressed to “Leaders in the nuclear and space industries”.
The request asks industry leaders to help the government develop innovative technologies that will work on both the Moon and Mars.
“The prospect of deploying an advanced reactor on the lunar surface is as exciting as it is challenging.”said John Wagner, associate laboratory director of INL’s Nuclear Science and Technology Directorate.
First, a reactor design will need to be developed. Then a test reactor will be built, along with another to be shipped to the Moon. It will also be necessary to design a flight system and a lander to transport the reactor. The prototype will look “as much as possible” all the aspects of the real reactor that will be later deployed on the Moon, “What should the extensibility to Mars include” the request said.
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The reactor cannot weigh more than 3,500 kg (7,700 pounds) and will have to be able to operate almost autonomously for a minimum of 10 years. You also need to be able to generate at least 10 kilowatts of electricity. Multiple reactors are likely to be taken to the Moon or Mars to meet the demand for a “Sustainable human presence” said the Department of Energy.
The reactor will support exploration of the Moon’s southern polar area, while a specific area of Mars has not yet been identified for exploration.
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NASA, the Department of Energy and the Idaho National Laboratory’s nuclear research facility will examine the ideas that come up to see how to develop the reactor. Then there will be a government and industry webcast meeting in August to discuss the program’s expectations.
There is some concern that due to the timeline and design parameters, the highly enriched uranium could end up being used, which can also be used to make weapons.
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“This may lead or start an international space race to build and deploy new types of reactors that require highly enriched uranium.” Edwin Lyman, director of the Nuclear Energy Security project at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told the New York Times.
The news comes as the United States and Russia clashed this week over the use of weapons in space. Washington accused Moscow of testing a space-based anti-satellite weapon on Thursday. Russia rejected the United States’ claim as propaganda and said it was an attempt to “distract” from the fact that the United States itself wants to deploy space weapons.
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