NASA prepares to install a nuclear reactor on the moon for future missions

NASA aims to deploy a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 to help with upcoming missions.

First of all, NASA has not gotten the nuclear reactor it wants to bring to the moon yet. Another problem is that only two people out of billions on Earth have gone to space. The nuclear reactor needs to be small enough so it can be transferred onto the moon by a spacecraft. The reactor also has to be lighter than six metric tons, which is approximately 13228 lbs. This nuclear reactor also has to be efficient; it has to generate more than 40 kilowatts of energy. Another challenge for the reactor is how it reacts to the extreme temperatures: a high of 250°F (121°C) during the lunar day to a low of -298°F (-183°C) during the lunar night.

Nuclear reactors on the moon will work differently from the ones on Earth, but to understand how nuclear reactors work on the moon, you will have to understand how they work on Earth. On Earth, nuclear reactors generate electricity through nuclear fission, a process where the nucleus of an atom is split, releasing a large amount of heat and creating energy. The ones on the moon will have to face more challenges than safety precautions. If the reactor on the moon gets too cold or warm, it could explode. If the reactor doesn’t do well with the moon’s gravity, it could also explode. No matter what, scientists have to be careful when building one.

Fortunately for NASA, Lockheed Martin has already created a nuclear reactor model that meets the requirements. However, this reactor is exactly six metric tons and generates 40 kilowatts of energy, so NASA is still waiting for a better model.

The reason why NASA is installing a nuclear reactor on the moon is that it could be useful for future missions. If NASA sends anyone to live in space, they would have a nuclear reactor to produce energy. Energy means the astronauts have access to electronics like phones and televisions. Putting a reactor on the moon will also help incoming aircraft recharge energy if they need recharging.

People might think this is impossible, but Sebastian Corbisiero, a senior program manager at Idaho National Laboratory who is the leader of the Energy Department’s space reactor program, reassures everyone, “It’s not science fiction, it’s very doable.”

Even though placing a nuclear reactor on the moon would be a tough mission, the NASA workers are very excited and hopeful about when this will happen. “Urgency is the name of the game,” Dr.Huff, a NASA official, said. “If we put it too far in the future, we’re not going to achieve it, right?”