Prepare to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon

Engineers of the US Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are testing the possibility of using a nuclear fission power system to produce a stable 40 kilowatt of electricity, providing unmanned or riders on the surface of the Moon, Mars and other planets.

This issue was discussed and contributed to comments at the 242th National Conference and the American Chemical Society (ACS) exhibition held on August 28.

This system will separate uranium atoms in a reactor to generate heat, thereby converting it into electricity. Nuclear fission is not dependent on the sun and is capable of operating in harsh environments, such as the Moon or Mars.

Estimated construction of nuclear fission power system on the Moon. (Source: Physorg.com)

The research team plans to build a model factory in 2012.

This is a cooperative project between the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE).

The work ahead of NASA engineers will be to carry out the design of reactors and modeling, fuel development, fabrication and production of small electric pumps for metal liquid cooling systems.

The main stages of a nuclear fission system include a heat source, an electrical conversion process, a process of heat removal, electrical conditioning and distribution.

Now engineers at NASA's Glenn Center are designing, testing two modern types of electrical conversion combinations needed for heat treatment produced by the reactor and turning it into electricity. These two design models are developed by Sunpower Inc. In Athens, Ohio and Barbers Nichols Inc. in Arvada, Colorado, provide.

After a 1-year design and analysis phase, a contractor will be selected to produce and test a model combination.

According to NASA engineers, this could be one of the most flexible, effective and perfectly affordable options to provide energy for a long time for space exploration and exploration programs. future.