NASA Is Already Prepping To Build Trump A Nuclear Reactor On The Moon

Key Concepts:

• Nuclear fission reactor on the moon
• Artemis program
• Lunar resources (water ice, sunlight)
• US-China space race
• Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs)
• Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (Kilopower)
• Fission Surface Power (FSP) project
• High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel
• Keepout zones

1. NASA's Lunar Nuclear Reactor Project

• NASA Administrator Shawn Duffy announced the Trump administration's goal to land a working nuclear fission reactor on the moon by the end of the decade.
• Duffy frames this as a race with China to secure lunar resources.
• The rationale is that nuclear reactors are more effective than simply planting a flag, especially in claiming resource-rich areas.
• Duffy referenced the idea of a "keepout zone" around a reactor to claim desirable areas like craters holding frozen water.

2. Historical Context of NASA's Use of Nuclear Power

• NASA has a long history of using atomic power, dating back to the 1960s.
• Apollo missions, space probes (Voyager, Pioneer), and Martian landers have been powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs).
• RTGs convert the heat from decaying isotopes like Plutonium-238 into electricity.
• These RTGs produced relatively low power (100 watts or less).

3. Fission Reactors vs. RTGs

• Fission reactors are significantly more powerful than RTGs.
• Fission reactors generate heat by splitting Uranium-238.
• The target output for the lunar reactor is 100 kilowatts, enough to power a couple dozen homes on Earth.

4. Justification for Nuclear Power on the Moon

• Lunar nights last for 14 Earth days, making solar power unreliable.
• Burning fossil fuels is impossible in a vacuum.
• NASA validated microreactor technology through the Kilopower project.
• In 2022, NASA awarded $5 million grants to three consortia to develop 40-kilowatt designs.

5. Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project Specifications

• The FSP project requires a system weighing just 6 tons.
• It must fit within a cylinder 13 feet in diameter and 20 feet long.
• The reactor must operate for 10 years without maintenance or refueling.

6. Sebastian Corbisiero's Perspective (Idaho National Lab)

• Sebastian Corbisiero, the national technical director for space reactors at the Idaho National Lab, emphasizes the challenge of designing low-mass, small reactors for space.
• He believes a lunar reactor is a crucial step towards developing systems for a Martian colony.
• His research group concluded in 2023 that "surface nuclear power is required for a sustainable lunar presence."
• Quote: "On Earth, reactors are not designed to be low mass and small. In space, you need as little mass as possible to fit on a rocket."
• Quote: "Surface nuclear power is required for a sustainable lunar presence."

7. The Three Consortia Selected by NASA (2022)

• Lockheed Martin with BWXT: BWXT had already been working with NASA on the DRACO project, a $500 million spacecraft powered by a nuclear reactor.
• Westinghouse partnered with Aerojet Rocketdyne: They plan to adapt their existing EVIC microreactor.
• Startup X-Energy teamed with Maxar and Boeing: X-Energy is working on microreactor projects for Dow Chemical and Amazon. They aim to use their own non-standardized fuel source.

8. Fuel Source and Reactor Technology

• NASA directives call for the use of HALEU (High Assay Low Enriched Uranium) fuel.
• X-Energy aims to use its own non-standardized fuel source.
• The final system is likely to use a Stirling engine to convert fission heat into electricity.
• It will also feature meltdown-proof liquid sodium circulation.

9. Feasibility and Cost Considerations

• Corbisiero believes a lunar reactor within 5 years is "doable," but it depends on the continued development of the Artemis flight system and funding.
• The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled for early 2026.
• Microreactors on Earth cost billions of dollars.

10. US-China Lunar Competition

• Duffy states that the Trump administration believes the US cannot afford to delay planting reactors on the moon.
• China is planning its Chang'e-8 mission in 2029 to test methods for building a lunar base with robots and 3D printers by the mid-2030s.
• Both countries aim to monopolize the best lunar real estate near the poles, where there is constant sunlight and water ice.
• Quote: "We have ice there. We have sunlight there. We want to get there first and claim that for America."

11. Conclusion

• The US is accelerating its plans to establish a nuclear fission reactor on the moon, driven by competition with China and the need for reliable power in the lunar environment. The project faces technical challenges related to mass, size, and safety, but experts believe it is achievable within the next five years with sufficient funding and continued progress on the Artemis program. The successful deployment of a lunar reactor is seen as a critical step towards establishing a sustainable lunar presence and, eventually, a Martian colony.