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NASA Developing Small Nuclear Reactor For the Moon

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the because-they're-nasa dept.

marshotel writes "NASA astronauts will need power sources when they return to the moon and establish a lunar outpost. NASA engineers are exploring the possibility of nuclear fission to provide the necessary power, and they are taking initial steps toward a non-nuclear technology demonstration of this type of system."

4 of 431 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Not solar? by actionbastard · · Score: 5, Informative

    Except for the fact that it would be dark at your moonbase for nearly two straight weeks at a time, solar power would be great.

    --
    Sig this!
  2. It's not really waste by Neil+Watson · · Score: 5, Informative

    Nuclear waste is not really waste. It simply needs to be used in a different reactor. Storing this waste and doing nothing with it is really a waste.

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    UNIX/Linux Consulting
  3. Re:Can't wait to see... by HungryHobo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well the sun is a hellish inferno of radiation as it stands, dumping a million tonnes of the nastiest crap we can find into it would be like spitting into niagara falls.

  4. Re:Can't wait to see... by datadood · · Score: 5, Informative

    Um let's see...

    m = 1 kg
    v = 12 km/sec = 12000 m/sec

    KE = 1/2*m*v^2 = 1/2 * 1 * 12000^2 = 72 MJ for a 1kg object

    I was always happy when my lab partner and I came within an order of magnitude of the correct answer in my EE lab.