NASA wants to build a nuclear power plant on the moon and is now looking for ways to start. The space agency said it was open to possible proposals to build nuclear reactors off-planet.
According to the report, the team is building a nuclear fission energy source as a possible support for human life on the natural earth satellite. Before exploring the Red Planet, this will be the priority if it is viable for human life.
NASA plans nuclear reactor on the moon
(Photo: Jakob Madsen from Unsplash)
NASA finds a way to build nuclear power plants on the moon in the future. The space agency asked everyone to submit a proposal request about it, and here are the requirements to remember.
According to a report by The Independent, NASA has asked the National Laboratory of the Department of Energy in Idaho for assistance on this project. The cutting edge nuclear research laboratory will help the space agency develop the nuclear reactor by the end of the decade.
On Friday, November 19, NASA announced that it is now open to proposals to build the nuclear power plant. According to Sebastian Corbisiero, head of the Fission Surface Power Project, the nuclear fission energy source would be an essential part of future space exploration.
The space agency determined that if the next mission got to the possible ideas for building the nuclear reactor to the moon, it would take it to Mars. NASA indicated that the energy from the fission surface could sustain sufficient energy regardless of the harsh weather conditions on the red planet or the lunar surface.
Jim Reuter, the agency’s assistant administrator for the Space Technology Mission’s Directorate of Mission, said the plans to build the nuclear reactors would benefit the entire organization en route to its mission to Mars and the Moon.
From there, they could develop innovative ideas that benefit people from the earth. NASA made it clear that the construction of the surface energy system to split will take place on the planet and then be sent to the moon.
Related article: NASA: The US needs more nuclear spaceships to be the world leader in space while China is ramping up
Requirements for submitted proposals for nuclear energy sources
Another ABC News report, dated Saturday, November 20, requested that the proposal for the nuclear reactor system have a uranium-fueled reactor core. This component is necessary to convert nuclear energy into other energy sources.
There should also be a good thermal management system in place to prevent overheating of the reactor. In addition, the distribution system should deliver no less than 40 kW of electrical power. That should be enough to power the new environment for a decade.
NASA added that the proposal should specify a machine that would work without human intervention. Also, it should be transferable from one place to another while exploring the moon.
There is a condition of the ideal size of a nuclear reactor. NASA said that it should be enough to be enclosed in a cylinder four meters in diameter and six meters. The agency wanted more than 6,000 kilograms for his weight.
The deadline for requests for quotations for the system design would be February 19, 2022.
Upcoming NASA moon mission
Earlier this week, the Tech Times reported that the space agency plans to allocate $ 93 billion for the upcoming Artemis mission. According to the report, the project should be carried out by 2025.
Read also: SpaceX, NASA DART crashes spaceship on asteroid to change course; Elon Musk responds with memes
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Written by Joseph Henry
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