12 Sept (NucNet): Engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the US are exploring the possibility of nuclear fission to provide power sources when astronauts return to the Moon and establish a lunar outpost.
NASA said on 10 September 2008 that it is taking initial steps toward a non-nuclear technology demonstration of this type of system.
A nuclear fission reactor system produce large amounts of power in harsh environments such as in outer space, NASA said.
Lee Mason, principal investigator for the test at NASA’s Glenn Center in Cleveland, said the goal is to build a technology demonstration unit with all the major components of a fission reactor system and conduct non-nuclear, integrated system testing in a simulation facility on Earth.
"Our long-term goal is to demonstrate technical readiness early in the next decade, when NASA is expected to decide on the type of power system to be used on the lunar surface," he added.
Details of the work are posted on the ‘Advanced Capabilities Project Office’ of NASA’s web site (http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/Advanced/Capabilities).
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