The use of nuclear energy on Earth has always sparked debate and opposition, but it seems that when it comes to other celestial bodies, everyone agrees: nuclear energy is definitely the way forward. In particular, for installing power systems on the Moon, the reconsidered destination for the next space exploration and colonisation mission. There are already well-established projects underway in the United States, as well as in Russia and China. It should not be forgotten that the use of nuclear energy instruments on our natural satellite would not be entirely new: since 1969, there have already been five power stations powered by plutonium-238 (see box). But now the thinking is bigger. So big that some fear that these offshore power stations could also be used to build nuclear weapons for space (or terrestrial) warfare. But for the moment, we are sticking to the official statements.
A REACTOR FOR THE MOON COLONIES
If stable colonies are to be established on the lunar surface, they will need to be equipped with powerful energy production systems. Solar radiation and photovoltaic panels that convert it into electricity will remain essential, but nuclear energy production is also set to play a key role. In fact, solar panels will not be sufficient to power research activities on the Moon. The bases for the Artemis missions will be established at the lunar South Pole, in areas that are always in darkness, because these are where the large deposits of water ice useful for lunar colonies are found. But without the Sun, there is no energy, and it should be remembered that even in the illuminated areas of our natural satellite, there is an alternation of approximately 14 Earth days of light and 14 days of night. According to NASA, these issues will be resolved thanks to nuclear fission reactors. The US space agency is evaluating data collected by its commercial partners after a year of research into this technology. The first phase of the project to produce nuclear energy on the Moon began in 2022, with the study of systems capable of guaranteeing 40 kilowatts of power for 10 years without human maintenance. This supply, which on Earth would be enough to power about 30 homes, will power all of NASA's scientific and exploration equipment on our satellite. The expected delivery date for the first nuclear reactor on the launch pad is early 2030. However, NASA has allowed for some flexibility, allowing companies to submit creative and different approaches for technical review. The US space agency has also awarded contracts to Rolls Royce North American Technologies, Brayton Energy and General Electric for the development of efficient power converters to transform the thermal energy produced by nuclear fission into electricity. Achieving nuclear fission in space, however, will not be an easy feat. This is why NASA has asked three companies (Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and IX, a joint venture between Intuitive Machines and X-Energy) to also propose viable alternatives. “The lunar night is technically challenging, so having an energy source such as a nuclear reactor, which operates independently of the Sun, is an option that enables long-term exploration and scientific endeavours on the Moon,” said Trudy Kortes, programme manager for technology demonstration missions at NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. The next phase of the project will begin in 2025, with the launch of the final tender for the construction of the best and safest nuclear fission reactor possible. The reactor is expected to be ready in the early years of the next decade. At that point, an automated cargo spacecraft will deliver it to the Moon for a 12-month test, followed by an operational period of another nine years. At the end of its life cycle, it will be dismantled and the project will be modified based on the results obtained. By 2040, NASA scientists should have gained enough experience in the field to attempt to bring this technology to Mars.
NUCLEAR SPACESHIPS FOR MARS
Lunar nuclear power plants will also be important for powering the engines of spacecraft bound for the Red Planet. On the Moon, environmental problems do not exist as they do on Earth, so the idea would be to refuel nuclear-powered rockets destined for Mars directly on our satellite. Thanks to this propulsion, the duration of a Moon-Mars journey would be reduced from the 8-9 months required by chemical propulsion to just 3-4 months. The related projects are already at an advanced stage, and the launch of a nuclear-powered demonstration spacecraft is already planned for 2026. The result of a collaboration between NASA and DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency), it has been named Draco (Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations). Its engines will pump cryogenic hydrogen into the core of the nuclear reactor, where uranium fission will take place. The propellant will overheat and convert into a high-pressure gas that will be channelled into a nozzle to produce thrust (see Cosmo Spacenews No. 43).
RUSSIA AND CHINA TOO
Yuri Borisov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and former Deputy Minister of Defence, recently stated that Russia and China are working together to build and install a nuclear power plant on the Moon between 2033 and 2035, where it will power their future settlements. “This is a very serious challenge... it should be done automatically, without the presence of humans,” said Borisov, who also spoke about Russian plans to build a nuclear-powered cargo spacecraft: “We are working on a space tugboat. It is a cyclopean structure, equipped with a nuclear reactor and high-power turbines, which will be able to transport large loads from one orbit to another, collect space debris and perform many other applications.” Russian officials have also spoken in the past about ambitious plans to mine the Moon, but the Russian space programme has suffered a series of setbacks in recent years. Its first lunar mission in 47 years failed last year when the Luna-25 probe spun out of control and crashed. Moscow has announced that it will soon launch new missions, starting with Luna-26; it will then examine the possibility of a joint Russian-Chinese manned mission and then a base on our satellite. China, as has been known for some time, intends to send its first taikonaut to the Moon by 2030.
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