British vehicle and engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce plans to develop a nuclear reactor for the Moon. The UK Space Agency (UKSA) announced that it will provide $3.5 million (£2.9 million) to the initiative, a significant increase over the $303,500 (£249,000) research financed by the agency in 2022.
Rolls-Royce hopes to have the reactor ready to be launched to the Moon by 2029. Under their microreactor program, the technology would hopefully provide power to humans working and living in the future lunar base.
Rolls-Royce's Microreactor Program
Scientists and engineers at Rolls-Royce are working on the microreactor research program, which is a microscopic "plug-and-play" reactor as described by the US Department of Energy, that would eventually power a lunar base.
Rolls-Royce will collaborate on the project with a number of organizations, including the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Nuclear AMRC, as well as the University of Oxford.
UK Space Agency CEO Paul Bate said in the announcement that developing space nuclear power gives a unique opportunity to promote breakthrough technologies while simultaneously growing the nuclear, scientific, and space engineering skills base.
He added that the Rolls-Royce study may provide the framework for powering ongoing human presence on the Moon while strengthening the larger UK space business, creating employment, and generating more investment.
Furthermore, National Space Center expert Dhara Patel told CNBC that humans returning to the lunar surface would need a reliable source of energy so astronauts could work and live on the Moon for long-term missions.
He went on to explain that, although solar power seems to be an obvious choice for the lunar base, renewable energy is not ideal as the Moon's rotation results in a two-week day and a fortnight of darkness. That makes nuclear power more appealing as it could provide a continuous source of power regardless of the physical environment and conditions on the Moon.
Patel noted that using nuclear power on the lunar surface could boost the lifetime of Moon missions. They hope it could start a more long-term presence on the lunar surface that includes humans living and working there.
Developing Nuclear Reactors in Style
Rolls-Royce's plan to build a nuclear reactor for the Moon seems to be in response to NASA's forthcoming Artemis lunar missions, wherein the third mission will be carrying humans on the Moon after more than 50 years.
According to Futurism, this is the second time this week that the UK government has tapped Rolls-Royce to build a nuclear reactor after a trilateral agreement between them and the US and Australia.
Earlier this week, the British carmaker's submarine division that supplied the UK with many of its naval needs for half a century will also be developing nuclear reactors for the underwater vessels deployed by the international consortium. This only proves that, although the company is best known for its high-end cars, they also excel in air and sea technologies.
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