Nuclear Reactors In Space

Showing that the loss of the Shuttle in 2010 will not be the last of flights into space (other than earth orbitals) an article on Slashdot shows that the plans are there, just awaiting funding.

from Slashdot

NASA recently finished testing a miniature nuclear reactor that would provide power for an astronaut base on the Moon or Mars. The reactor combines a small fission system with a Stirling engine to make a ’safe, reliable, and efficient’ way to produce electricity. The system being tested at NASA’s Glenn Research Center can produce 2.3 kilowatts and could be ready for launch by 2020, NASA officials say. The reactor ought to provide much more power than solar panels but could prove controversial with the public concerned about launching a nuclear power source and placing it on the Moon or another planet.

It’s about time that we start doing something about this. Miniaturizing nuclear reactors will make things easier in space, but also lead to the ability for reactors deployed on earth that will be easily serviced and replaced over time. Though many believe that nuclear power is unsafe, they seem to be unaware (perhaps blissfully so) of the fact that so many nuclear reactors continue to operate. It is simply that there are no new ones being built. If a few more were allowed to be put online, the worries about carbon footprint, and oil importation, could be greatly reduced.

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