{"id":18542,"date":"2018-05-02T23:00:07","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T15:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nasas-kilopower-project-demonstrates-a-nuclear-reactor-thats-made-for-space\/"},"modified":"2018-05-02T23:00:07","modified_gmt":"2018-05-02T15:00:07","slug":"nasas-kilopower-project-demonstrates-a-nuclear-reactor-thats-made-for-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nasas-kilopower-project-demonstrates-a-nuclear-reactor-thats-made-for-space\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Kilopower project demonstrates a nuclear reactor that\u2019s made for space"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kilopower
Kilopower lead engineer Marc Gibson and Vantage Partner\u2019s Jim Sanzi install hardware on the Kilopower assembly at the Nevada National Security Site during testing in March. (NNSS Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That\u2019s one small step for nuclear reactors on the moon and Mars, and several giant leaps to go.<\/p>\n

Eventually, the technology pioneered by NASA\u2019s Kilopower project could provide the electricity required to keep the lights on at off-Earth outposts, and to turn space resources into the breathable air, water and rocket fuel required for those outposts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we go to the moon, and eventually on to Mars, we are likely going to need large power sources and not rely on the sun,\u201d Jim Reuter, NASA\u2019s acting associate administrator for space technology, explained today during a news briefing at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.<\/p>\n

The first step is to confirm that the technology works, reliably and safely. And officials from NASA and the Department of Energy\u2019s National Nuclear Security Administration, or NNSA, say they did that during a series of tests conducted between last November and March at NNSA\u2019s Nevada National Security Site.<\/p>\n

The key test came when the Kilopower team ran their test reactor through a 28-hour vacuum-chamber test that simulated a full power cycle, including startup, ramp-up, steady operation and shutdown. The power system \u2014 known as the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology, or KRUSTY \u2014 was put through additional tests to see how it dealt with multiple failures.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe threw everything we could at this reactor, in terms of nominal and off-normal operating scenarios, and KRUSTY passed with flying colors,\u201d David Poston, the chief reactor designer at NNSA\u2019s Los Alamos National Laboratory, said in a news release.<\/p>\n

\"Fission
An artist\u2019s conception shows a Kilopower reactor and its radiator on the moon. (NASA Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The power for the system comes from a uranium-235 reactor core that\u2019s about the size of a paper towel roll. Passive solar heat pipes transfer kilowatts\u2019 worth of thermal energy from the core to high-efficiency Stirling engines that convert the heat to electricity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first nuclear-powered operation of a new fission reactor concept in the U.S. in 40 years \u2026 not just for space, not just for NASA, but of any kind in the U.S.,\u201d Poston said during today\u2019s briefing.<\/p>\n

The initial tests generated 1 kilowatt of electricity, but the power output can be scaled to provide up to 10 kilowatts continuously for at least 10 years. \u201cThat makes a nice building block as we go forward,\u201d Reuter said. He anticipates that a lunar outpost will require up to 40 kilowatts, or the output of four Kilopower reactors.<\/p>\n

The self-regulating system is designed to keep its core around a constant temperature of 800 degrees Celsius (1,472 degrees Fahrenheit) during operation, even in off-nominal conditions. That means the reactor can be safely operated on the moon or Mars, without having astronauts on duty nearby.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not going to be wanting to sit at a reactor control system all the time,\u201d Poston said.<\/p>\n

Over the next 18 months, NASA and NNSA will work out the regulatory and technical requirements for the next stage of testing, which is expected to build up to a flight demonstration.<\/p>\n