Micro nuclear reactor for moon base

Rolls-Royce's nuclear fission reactor is expected to be just 1 meter wide and 3 meters long, providing stable energy for astronauts.

Rolls-Royce revealed the design of the Space Micro Reactor at the British Space Conference in Belfast, Interesting Engineering reported on December 7. This reactor is expected to help power a future human base on the Moon.

Rolls-Royce's prototype micro-nuclear reactor on display at the UK Space Conference 2023 in Belfast, UK. (Photo: Rolls-Royce Novel Nuclear).

Some regions of the Moon's south pole have not seen sunlight for billions of years and are extremely inhospitable. Yet NASA considers these places to be potential sites for the first lunar base. One important reason is that these permanently shadowed areas are likely to contain water ice.

Astronauts will need a steady source of electricity to live and work on the Moon. Since they cannot rely on solar energy, building a nuclear power plant on the Moon could be very useful.

'This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the foundations for powering a long-term human life on the Moon ,' said Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency. Rolls-Royce received a £2.9 million grant from the UK Space Agency in March 2023.

Engineers and scientists at Rolls-Royce are working on converting the heat produced by a nuclear fission reactor into energy. This small and lightweight reactor is only about 1 meter wide and 3 meters long, and the prototype is not yet capable of generating electricity.

The Micro Space Reactor generates energy through nuclear fission, similar to the method used in terrestrial nuclear power plants. The splitting of atoms such as uranium creates energy in the reactor.

By the early 2030s, Rolls-Royce hopes to have the reactor ready for deployment on the Moon. The reactor could provide power and propulsion for spacecraft, while a constant power supply at the base would make it easier to operate ventilation and heating systems—essential to astronaut survival. The reactor's steady, sunlight-independent power source would also be important for activities such as recharging robotic explorers and scientific instruments.