Setting up of a nuclear power plant on the moon by 2030 by NASA —help welcomed

Posted by Kapil on December 6th, 2021

Do you or a buddy know how to construct a uranium-fueled nuclear reactor that will fit inside a 12-foot-long by 18-foot-wide (4-by-6-meter) rocket? Will you be able to complete the project by the end of the decade? If that’s the case, NASA and the US Department of Energy want to hear from you.

Demand by the Collaboration

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) of the Department of Energy is collaborating with NASA, according to a release. Within the next ten years, they hope to have a “durable, high-power, sun-independent” fission reactor on the moon. The two organizations are presently seeking ideas from outside partners to help them get this ambitious initiative off the ground, with a deadline of February 19, 2022.

According to agency experts, this hypothetical reactor would aid in transforming the moon into an interplanetary base for human space exploration, including future manned journeys to Mars.

In a statement, Jim Reuter, assistant administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C., stated, “Plenty of energy will be crucial to future space exploration.” “I believe that fission surface power systems will have a significant impact on power designs for the moon and Mars, as well as driving innovation for usage on Earth.”