China is developing a nuclear reactor for space travel that is “100 times more powerful than the NASA device”

China is developing a nuclear reactor to aid its missions to the moon and Mars.

The reactor can generate one megawatt of electricity and, according to the South China Morning Post, is supposed to be 100 times more powerful than a similar device that NASA is working on.

NASA’s fission energy source would be used to sustain lasting human life on the moon and is expected to be developed by the end of the decade.

Chemical fuels and solar energy won’t be enough to meet the needs of human space exploration and potential settlements on other bodies, according to two anonymous scientists.

“Nuclear power is the most hopeful solution. Other nations have some ambitious plans in place. China cannot afford to lose this race, ”said one.

The megawatt space reactor is expected to face cooling challenges; Only part of the heat generated in the process could be used to generate electricity, the rest has to be discharged into space in order to avoid a core meltdown.

Its small size means it will reach a much higher temperature than on Earth.

Jiang Jieqiong, professor at the Institute of Nuclear Safety Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has suggested that the reactor could use a foldable structure – similar to an umbrella – to increase the surface area of ​​the coolers.

There are a number of other ideas, however: Some research teams have developed smaller reactors that could be combined into one larger machine that could then power the large ion thrusters to send astronauts to Mars.

Mankind’s race to perch on the stars has created a number of problems, including the problem of space debris. There are roughly 228 million pieces of space junk around the world, but many countries have been reluctant to look into it.

This month, a Russian satellite was blown up during a test that resulted in hundreds of thousands of debris stuck in orbit, “threatening the interests of all nations,” according to a State Department spokesman.

China has taken a similarly lax approach as the Long March 5B rocket, which orbited the earth at tremendous speeds that made the calculation of its landing in May this year unpredictable.

The South China Morning Post says the secrecy of the space nuclear reactor programs means there is no legislation to treat an accident like a botched start or a meltdown in space.

“There is an urgent need to establish a safety assessment and management system that is in line with the technological level of our country, to increase the transparency of research and development progress in order to reduce public concerns,” said space scientist Zhang Ze of the Shanghai Institute of Space drive said.

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