The British space agency is backing Rolls-Royce’s plans to develop a nuclear power plant for the moon. The agency is providing the company with 2.9 million pounds to build a demonstrator for a modular reactor for the moon. This is in addition to a previous study that received funding of £249,000. Rolls-Royce expects to have an SMR ready for the moon by 2029.
Currently, the company is working on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), or “mini nuclear power plants”, for use on Earth. Despite being in the development stage and not used commercially anywhere, Rolls-Royce aims to explore how an SMR on the moon could power a future space station there for communication, life support systems, and scientific experiments.
Rolls-Royce will work with research institutes, including those from Oxford, Brighton, Bangor, and Sheffield, to concentrate on which fuel can be used, how the heat generated can be transferred, and how it can be converted into electricity. The technology could pave the way for a permanent human presence on the moon, create jobs, and attract further investments.
The UK Space Agency recently announced 51 million pounds in funding for the European Space Agency’s “Moonlight” program. The program aims to set up a communication and navigation network around the moon with the help of satellites. British companies will use the funding to develop communications and navigation services that enable future astronauts to exchange large amounts of data on the moon and navigate safely.
Nuclear power is part of the UK government’s plan to become energy self-sufficient. Besides constructing new nuclear power plants and expanding wind power, SMRs are also part of the strategy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Czech government is also racing to build a mini nuclear power plant as quickly as possible.
