Interesting! NASA Creates a Nuclear Power System Design in Space

Interesting ! NASA Creates a Nuclear Power System Design in Space
  • NASA and DOE have selected three proposals from three companies to draft a nuclear power system design concept.
  • The design concept for the nuclear power system will be unveiled at the end of the decade for demonstrations on the moon.
  • According to NASA, fission power systems have advantages when compared to other power systems.

NASA is working on a nuclear-powered spacecraft concept for a quick trip to Mars. The concept is almost in the final stages and one step closer to launch.

Nuclear energy has been driving spacecraft since the dawn of the space age. In addition, nuclear energy can also help run various technologies.

Technologies such as NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on Mars, Saturn’s Cassini probe, and the twin Voyager spacecraft are doing their pioneering work.

This type of nuclear technology utilizes the heat generated by the radioactive decay of plutonium-238. It is then converted into electricity, which drives scientific instruments and other equipment. Nuclear thermal propulsion systems are something completely different.

They will transfer the heat generated by the nuclear reactor to a liquid propellant such as hydrogen. Then the heat will transition to the gas phase, expand, and be channeled through the nozzle. This will create thrust to minimize travel time to and from Mars.

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According to NASA, nuclear reactors could also help humans set up shop on other worlds once they get there. For example, NASA is working on a fission power system for use on the moon and Mars. Such surface fission forces could help inform nuclear electric propulsion systems, another propulsion technology candidate for far-flung destinations.

NASA plans to collaborate with DOE and INL. This collaboration was undertaken to issue a request for proposals asking the industry for the initial design of a 10 kilowatt class system. Later, the design could be demonstrated by NASA on the lunar surface.

NASA and DOE have selected three proposals from three companies to draft a nuclear power system design concept. The three companies include Lockheed Martin from Maryland; Westinghouse from Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania; and IX from Houston, Texas. The contract funds the development of initial design concepts for a 40-kilowatt fission power system that is planned to last at least 10 years on the moon.

The design concept for the nuclear power system will be unveiled at the end of the decade for demonstrations on the moon. The reactor design concept could be part of a nuclear thermal propulsion system. It can also be a next-generation technology that can make space exploration faster and more efficient.

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A spacecraft powered by a nuclear thermal rocket could potentially reach Mars in as little as three to four months. According to experts, traditional chemical rocket reactor hardware takes about half the time to deploy. Such chemical rockets could propel new missions and exciting discoveries.

The newly announced contract will be awarded through the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), DOE’s main site for nuclear energy research. Each contract is worth up to $5 million. The money will fund 12 months of development work, which will culminate in the production of the reactor design concept. INL experts will evaluate the concepts and provide recommendations to NASA on how to proceed.

According to NASA, fission power systems have advantages when compared to other power systems. These advantages include not having to rely on location, available sunlight, and other natural environmental conditions. Furthermore, the demonstration of the system on the moon will pave the way for long-term missions on the moon and Mars.

Surface fission power technology will also help NASA’s nuclear propulsion system, which relies on reactors to generate power. This system can be used for space exploration missions.

Editor : Muhammad Fhandra Hardiyon

References:
[1] NASA, DOE fund three nuclear thermal space propulsion concepts
[2] NASA tunjuk tiga perusahaan untuk desain sistem tenaga nuklir di bulan

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