Rolls-Royce Creating Nuclear Power Plant For The Moon Base

Recent news has revealed that the UK Space Agency has pledged support to Rolls-Royce’s development of nuclear power solutions for a future Moon base. This exciting development comes as scientists and engineers at Rolls-Royce are working on the Nuclear Micro-Reactor programme, which aims to provide the power necessary for humans to live and work on the Moon.

The Nuclear Micro-Reactor programme is an innovative solution that seeks to address the energy needs of a lunar base, which will need to be sustainable and reliable in order to support human habitation. The development of this technology will be critical in enabling future space missions and could be a game-changer for the entire space industry.

According to Minister of State at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman, space exploration offers a unique opportunity to develop transformative technologies that can benefit humanity in a myriad of ways. From materials to robotics, nutrition, and cleantech, space exploration offers a unique laboratory to pioneer cutting-edge technology that could have applications far beyond the realm of space exploration.

The development of a lunar modular reactor by Rolls-Royce represents an important step forward in the UK’s ambitions to become a major player in the space industry. As Freeman notes, partnerships between British industry, the UK Space Agency, and the government are essential in driving innovation and creating new opportunities in the UK’s burgeoning SpaceTech sector.

Overall, the UK Space Agency’s backing of Rolls-Royce’s Nuclear Micro-Reactor programme represents an exciting development in the space industry. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about energy and sustainability, not just in space, but on Earth as well. As we prepare for humanity’s return to the Moon, partnerships like these will be critical in ensuring that we have the technology we need to make the most of this unique opportunity.

Rolls-Royce nuclear Moon base power solution

“The UK Space Agency has announced £2.9 million of new funding for the project which will deliver an initial demonstration of a UK lunar modular nuclear reactor. This follows a £249,000 study funded by the UK Space Agency in 2022. All space missions depend on a power source, to support systems for communications, life-support and science experiments. Nuclear power has the potential to dramatically increase the duration of future Lunar missions and their scientific value.”

“Rolls-Royce will be working alongside a variety of collaborators including the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear AMRC. The funding means Rolls-Royce can further strengthen its knowledge of these complex systems, with a focus on three key features of the Micro-Reactor; the fuel used to generate heat, the method of heat transfer and technology to convert that heat into electricity.”

Abi Clayton, Director of Future Programmes for Rolls-Royce said:

“This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth. The technology will deliver the capability to support commercial and defence use cases alongside providing a solution to decarbonize industry and provide clean, safe and reliable energy.”

Source: UK Gov