(ORDO NEWS) — One of the problems of long-term presence on the Moon or on the surface of another planet, such as Mars, is the search for the strength necessary to normalize human presence.
NASA is reported to be considering building nuclear power plants that will operate on the Moon and Mars. On Friday, NASA issued a request for ideas from private entrepreneurs on how nuclear power could be used off Earth in the future.
All ideas submitted will be reviewed by the Idaho National Laboratory, a nuclear research facility in eastern Idaho, the Department of Energy and NASA will evaluate all ideas submitted for the reactor. NASA says small nuclear reactors can provide the power needed for space exploration missions.
An industry technical meeting will be held in August to discuss program expectations. The meeting will be hosted by the Department of Energy, NASA and the Battelle Energy Alliance. The latter is a contractor that operates Idaho National Laboratory.
The plan is two-stage, and the first is the design of the reactor. The second is to build a test reactor to be sent to the moon. The program also requires the development of a flight system and a lander that can transport the reactor to the moon.
The space agency wants the reactor, flight system and lander to be ready to launch by the end of 2026. The reactor must generate an uninterrupted power output of at least 10 kilowatts.
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