US Issues Request for Ideas for Nuclear Power Plants On Moon, Mars Written 27 July 2020

The AP reported that the US “wants to build nuclear power plants that will work on the moon and Mars, and on Friday put out a request for ideas from the private sector on how to do that.” The US Department of Energy (DOE) “put out the formal request to build what it calls a fission surface power system that could allow humans to live for long periods in harsh space environments.” The ideas will be evaluated by the Idaho National Laboratory, the DOE, and NASA. The program will have a design phase and a phase where a test reactor will be sent to the moon. The goal “is to have a reactor, flight system and lander ready to go by the end of 2026.” The reactor “must be able to generate an uninterrupted electricity output of at least 10 kilowatts,” be able “to operate in space, operate mostly autonomously, and run for at least 10 years.”
Full Story (Associated Press)