Demonstration Proves Nuclear Fission Can Provide Exploration Power

Communities Science, Engineering, & Security
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Artist’s concept of new fission power system on the lunar surface.

TL;DR

  • Up to 10 kilowatts of electrical power
  • Four Kilopower units would provide enough power to establish an outpost
  • The prototype power system uses a solid, cast uranium-235 reactor core, about the size of a paper towel roll. Passive sodium heat pipes transfer reactor heat to high-efficiency Stirling engines, which convert the heat to electricity.
  • Throughout the experiment, the team simulated power reduction, failed engines and failed heat pipes, showing that the system could continue to operate and successfully handle multiple failures.

Why?

  • Lunar nights are equivalent to 14 days on Earth
  • “Kilopower gives us the ability to do much higher power missions, and to explore the shadowed craters of the Moon,”
5 Likes
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Oh I completely misread the title.

I was hoping this was a test of a fusion drive for space travel.

This was just another test showing that the nuclear reactors we already have are pretty cool and can be helpful. I feel like we already knew this.

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With Ion engines I don’t see it for manned space but a pluto orbitor w/lander like Cassini/Hugens. Pluto, and Neptune and Uranus…

All we need to do is get Nasa interested in that thing called the solar system

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Thats fucking neat. 200 year old tech still relevant today.

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I think Sweden has a submarine that uses Sterling engines as they can made to run super smooth.

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