NASA Considering Nuclear Fission For Manned Lunar Bases And Space Propulsion - Part 1 of 3 Parts

NASA Considering Nuclear Fission For Manned Lunar Bases And Space Propulsion - Part 1 of 3 Parts

Part 1 of 3 Parts
       I write for two blogs, one on nuclear issues and one on the space industry. Sometimes subjects overlap between the two blogs. This series of articles has to do with NASA’s interest in using nuclear power to propel spacecraft and power manned bases in space. I decided that I would post these articles in the space blog and not the nuclear blog.
    NASA recently launched its Perseverance rover to Mars and officials from the U.S. Department of Energy went to Cape Canaveral to watch the launch. Perseverance is the first mission to Mars to be launched since the Curiosity rover in 2011. Curiosity is powered by nuclear batteries containing the radioactive isotope plutonium-238 which were manufactured in DoE facilities.
     NASA, DoE and the White House have decided that they want to make more use of nuclear power in space exploration as plans are being made for permanently manned lunar bases and eventually crewed flights to Mars. During their recent trip to Cape Canaveral, the DoE officials held meetings with representatives from NASA at the Kennedy Space Center. The purpose of the meetings was to launce a new working group aimed at facilitating research and development of new space technologies. Included in these new projects were applications of nuclear fission as opposed to applications based on radioactive decay such as the nuclear batteries currently in use.
     NASA is currently debating the comparative advantages and disadvantages between different sources for surface power and space propulsion. They are looking for commonalities with designs for nuclear reactors under development by the DoE and the Department of Defense (DoD). NASA is also working on the best choice of fuel between highly enriched uranium (HEU) and fuel with less enrichment. HEU has the advantage of a very high power density but non-proliferation advocates make the argument that its use would undermine U.S. efforts to limit applications for HEU because it can be adapted for use in nuclear weapons.
     The White House National Space Council released a strategy for deep space exploration on July 23rd of this year that identifies the DoE as very “critical” to the development of nuclear power and space propulsion technologies. It mentioned that NASA plans on developing a power reactor that could be used to provide electricity for a base on the surface of the Moon. It also explored nuclear propulsion methods that would significantly reduce travel time for deep-space destinations such as Mars.
     Ryan Whitley is the director of civil space policy at the National Space Council. He elaborated on the administration’s work to promote nuclear technology development across U.S. federal agencies at a symposium convened this month by the American Astronautical Society.
     Whitley said that NASA’s most “immediate need” is for a surface fission reactor that would enable long-duration lunar exploration. Current systems based on radioactive decay just cannot provide enough power for larger mission that will have to operate through the two week lunar night or in shadows inside a crater, He added that nuclear propulsion is a long-term priority because it will enable eventual missions to Mars and beyond.
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