NASA is currently working on the Artemis Project. It requires a huge quantities of electricity to succeed in returning humans to the Moon permanently . It is quite impossible to transport conventional Fossil fuels there . Surface Solar Cells will be rendered useless for the two weeks during which a specific side of the Moon is at night . This is why Scientists has made the decision to set-up a nuclear power plant there . Nuclear Power could be the most viable choice .
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| Credit : NASA |
DEO Awarded 3 Companies to Help NASA in This Project
This year US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded three companies with $5 Million for designing proposals for a Nuclear Fission surface power system that can be installed to the Moon . According to NASA this Nuclear technology could be installed to the Moon by the end of this Decade.
The awarded companies are — Lockheed Martin , Westinghouse and IX . These companies will be partnering with other companies for the Design Development .
The award money by the DEO contracts are going to be used for the development of Initial Concept . This concept consisting a 40-KiloWatt Fission Power System . This System will be installed in the harsh environment of the Moon in the next 10 years .
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| Credit : Aerospace America—AAAA |
Why Scientists Decided to Set-Up Nuclear Fission System ?
Nuclear Fission Systems are comparatively small and are lightweight . So the scientists thinks — it will be ideal for the Lunar Enviornment . Nuclear Fission Systems can generate a Huge Quantities Energy . And these systems have no dependency on location, sunlight and any other natural conditions . If such a technology is successfully developed and installed — it could be very beneficial . It could pave the way for long duration missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond .
