Rolls-Royce is cooperating with the British Space Agency to research and develop nuclear reactors for space exploration.
Preliminary design of a small nuclear power system.
Preliminary design of a small nuclear power system. (Photo: Rolls-Royce).
On January 27, Rolls-Royce Company shares the design of the first phase of a small nuclear reactor as part of a 2021 agreement with the British Space Agency to research nuclear power options in space exploration. According to Rolls-Royce, each grain of uranium is covered in numerous protective layers, acting as a storage compartment, allowing it to withstand extreme temperatures.
Fission reaction systems harness the energy released when atoms split, which can be used to provide electricity to astronaut bases on the Moon or Mars, or help shorten travel times to the red planet, which takes 6 to 9 months with current propulsion systems. .
Nuclear systems have long been integrated into automated space missions. For example, radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) power many probes, including NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft, which are currently exploring interstellar space. Large NASA rovers such as Perseverance and Curiosity also use RTGs, while smaller robots such as Spirit and Opportunity are equipped with solar cells.
But RTG is not a nuclear reactor. They are nuclear battery, converts the heat generated by the decay of radioactive materials into electricity. No spacecraft has yet blasted off from Earth via fission, although that could change in the near future. For example, NASA and DARPA recently announced plans to build a thermonuclear rocket by 2027.
Nuclear fusion, the source of energy for the Sun and other stars, can also be applied to spaceflight. However, this is a long-term process because researchers have not yet found a way to exploit this energy source on Earth.
Article source: VnExpress
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Rolls-Royce is cooperating with the British Space Agency to research and develop nuclear reactors for space exploration.
