NASA plans to install a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030 – How to use it

To install a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030 to turn it into a power plant is planned by NASA.

The US space agency has selected three proposed plans for the use of nuclear energy on the moon.

This work will be tested by astronauts returning to the Moon as part of the new Artemis space mission.

The plan is for the 40-kilowatt fission power system to last at least 10 years in the lunar environment, in the hope that one day it could support a permanent human presence on the moonι, as well as manned missions to Mars and further.

If NASA is going to build a base on the lunar surface, one of the most important problems it has to solve will be how it will be powered.

Solar panels are great for powering rovers, but a human base would need a constant and reliable source of energy.

NASA experts are considering nuclear power as a solution because it has been used extensively on Earth.

Relatively small and light compared to other power systems, fission systems are reliable and could allow continuous power regardless of location, available sunlight and other natural environmental conditions, the US space agency said.

If the demonstration of such a system on the Moon were successful, it would pave the way for catering to longer space travel.

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