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Rolls-Royce Wants To Put a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon by 2029, Has the Funding To Do It

On a long enough timeline in which mankind doesn't abandon human-crewed spaceflight beyond LEO as we did in the early 70s, a nuclear reactor will likely find its way onto the lunar surface at some point. Thanks to Rolls Royce, that day could even come before this decade is out. It sounds utterly bonkers, but it's actually rooted in science that's relatively practical here on Earth.
Rolls-Royce Nuclear Reactor 6 photos
Photo: Rolls-Royce
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With the blessing of the ESA member state UK Space Agency, Rolls-Royce revealed on March 17th, 2023, that a new round of funding had been secured for a design proposal to develop a novel form of nuclear fission microreactor. One built for the express purpose of aiding NASA/ESA ventures onto the Moon. Of course, this inevitably involves the support of the Artemis program.

In addition to an early investment of £249,000 from the UK Space Agency, Rolls-Royce will use this most recent cash infusion of £2.9 million to create technology that would enable fission reactors on Earth to function in the near vacuum of the lunar surface. Rolls-Royce believes it will be able to field a nuclear reactor light enough to be sent to the Moon before the end of this decade with the aid of some of the UK's greatest nuclear research programs, including Oxford University.

"The new tranche of funding from the UK Space Agency means so much for the Rolls-Royce Micro-Reactor Programme. We're proud to work collaboratively with the UK Space Agency and the many UK academic institutions to showcase the best of UK innovation and knowledge in space," said Abi Clayton, Director of Future Programmes for Rolls-Royce.

"This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth. The technology will deliver the capability to support commercial and defense use cases alongside providing a solution to decarbonize industry and provide clean, safe, and reliable energy."

Making traditionally large and heavy nuclear reactors light and compact enough to launch into space aboard booster rockets has long plagued global aerospace manufacturers. In the past, the US Department of Energy has funded similar design studies with mixed results. But with the right selection of lightweight building materials, skilled astronaut personnel, and powerful nuclear fissile fuel, chances are good this pie-in-the-sky fantasy could be a reality far sooner than you might think.

As of the present day, the first NASA Artemis mission to actually step foot on the lunar surface isn't expected to launch until 2025. This means if NASA and the ESA are able to stick to this tentative schedule, this gives astronauts a mere four years to prepare a prospective landing sight to accommodate a nuclear power system on top of the obligatory human-crewed Moon base.

No word yet on what kind of booster rocket could theoretically accommodate cargo of this nature. But it's a safe bet that decision will come down either to NASA's Space Launch System, possibly in block 1B or block two forms, or more likely SpaceX's Starship. It's a mad dash to make the deadline, and it starts right now.
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