Latest news with #Artemisprogram
WIRED
17 hours ago
- Politics
- WIRED
Why the US Is Racing to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
NASA is fast-tracking a plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030 under a new directive from the agency's interim administrator Sean Duffy. The plan revives a decades-old dream of scaling up nuclear power in space, a shift that would unlock futuristic possibilities and test legal and regulatory guidelines about the use of extraterrestrial resources and environments. Duffy, who also serves as President Donald Trump's secretary of transportation, framed being first to put a reactor on the lunar surface as a must-win contest in a new moon race. 'Since March 2024, China and Russia have announced on at least three occasions a joint effort to place a reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s,' said Duffy in the directive, which is dated July 31. 'The first country to do so could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first,' he added, referring to NASA's Artemis program, which aims to land humans on the moon in the coming years. The directive laid out a roadmap to design, launch, and deploy an operational 100-kilowatt reactor to the lunar South Pole within five years that would be built with commercial partners (for comparison, 100-kilowatts could power about 80 American households). While the specs are, well, speculative at this point, 100 kilowatts represents a dramatic power boost compared to the basic nuclear generators that fuel Mars rovers and space probes, which typically operate on just a few hundred watts, equivalent to a toaster or a light bulb. The implications would be transformative, 'not just for the moon, but for the entire solar system,' says Bhavya Lal, who previously served as NASA's associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy and acting chief technologist. Placing a nuclear reactor on the moon would allow the space industry to 'start designing space systems around what we want to do, not what small amounts of power allow us to do. It's the same leap that occurred when Earth-based societies moved from candlelight to grid electricity.' Could NASA Build a Lunar Nuclear Reactor by 2030? Establishing a nuclear plant on the moon by 2030 won't be a lay-up, but many experts believe it is within reach. 'Four-and-a-bit years is a very racy timescale' but 'the technology is there,' says Simon Middleburgh, a professor in nuclear materials and co-director of the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University in the UK. The issue up to this point hasn't necessarily been technological readiness, but a lack of mission demand for off-Earth reactors or political incentives to strongarm their completion. That calculus is now shifting. 'We've been investing over 60 years and have spent tens of billions of dollars, and the last time we launched anything was 1965,' says Lal, referring to NASA's SNAP-10A mission, which was the first nuclear reactor launched to space. 'I think the big moment of change was last year, when NASA actually, for the first time in its history ever, selected nuclear power as the primary surface power generation technology for crewed missions to Mars.
CNA
19 hours ago
- Science
- CNA
China tests spacecraft it hopes will put first Chinese on the moon
China conducted its first test on Wednesday (Aug 6) of a lunar lander that it hopes will put the first Chinese on the moon before 2030, the country's manned space programme said. The lander's ascent and descent systems underwent comprehensive verification at a site in Hebei province that was designed to simulate the moon's surface. The test surface had special coating to mimic lunar soil reflectivity, as well as being covered with rocks and craters. "The test involved multiple operational conditions, a lengthy testing period, and high technical complexity, making it a critical milestone in the development of China's manned lunar exploration programme," China Manned Space (CMS) said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday. The lunar lander, known as Lanyue, which means "embrace the moon" in Mandarin, will be used to transport astronauts between the lunar orbit and the moon's surface, as well as serving as a living space, power source, and data centre after they land on the moon, CMS added. China has kept details closely guarded about its programme to achieve a manned landing on the moon, but the disclosure about the test comes at a time when the United States is looking to stave off the rapid advances of China's space programme. NASA plans for its Artemis programme to send astronauts around the moon and back in April 2026, with a subsequent moon landing mission a year later. China's uncrewed missions to the moon in the past five years have allowed the country to become the only nation to retrieve lunar samples from both the near and far side of the moon. Those missions have drawn interest from the European Space Agency, NASA-funded universities, and national space agencies from Pakistan to Thailand. A successful manned landing before 2030 would boost China's plans to build a "basic model" of the International Lunar Research Station by 2035. This manned base, led by China and Russia, would include a nuclear reactor on the moon's surface as a power source.
Reuters
21 hours ago
- Science
- Reuters
China tests spacecraft it hopes will put first Chinese on the moon
Aug 7 (Reuters) - China conducted its first test on Wednesday of a lunar lander that it hopes will put the first Chinese on the moon before 2030, the country's manned space program said. The lander's ascent and descent systems underwent comprehensive verification at a site in Hebei province that was designed to simulate the moon's surface. The test surface had special coating to mimic lunar soil reflectivity, as well as being covered with rocks and craters. "The test involved multiple operational conditions, a lengthy testing period, and high technical complexity, making it a critical milestone in the development of China's manned lunar exploration program," China Manned Space (CMS) said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday. The lunar lander, known as Lanyue, which means "embrace the moon" in Mandarin, will be used to transport astronauts between the lunar orbit and the moon's surface, as well as serving as a living space, power source, and data center after they land on the moon, CMS added. China has kept details closely guarded about its programme to achieve a manned landing on the moon, but the disclosure about the test comes at a time when the United States is looking to stave off the rapid advances of China's space program. NASA plans for its Artemis programme to send astronauts around the moon and back in April 2026, with a subsequent moon landing mission a year later. China's uncrewed missions to the moon in the past five years have allowed the country to become the only nation to retrieve lunar samples from both the near and far side of the moon. Those missions have drawn interest from the European Space Agency, NASA-funded universities, and national space agencies from Pakistan to Thailand. A successful manned landing before 2030 would boost China's plans to build a "basic model" of the International Lunar Research Station by 2035. This manned base, led by China and Russia, would include a nuclear reactor on the moon's surface as a power source.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
NASA wants US to be the first nation to put nuclear reactor on the moon
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy has directed the agency to fast-track plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. Expediting work to place a reactor on the lunar surface to help power moon exploration efforts would keep the United States ahead of China and Russia, both of which have 'announced on at least three occasions' a joint effort to develop such a project by the mid-2030s, according to a directive dated July 31 and obtained by CNN. If another country were to achieve this feat first, it could declare a 'keep-out zone' that would effectively hold the US back from its goal of establishing a presence on the lunar surface through NASA's Artemis program. The agency's Artemis III mission, currently planned for 2027, is expected to return humans to the surface of the moon for the first time in more than five decades. But the program still has several milestones in order to reach that target. 'We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon,' Duffy told reporters at a news conference Tuesday on drones. 'And to have a base on the moon, we need energy.' Duffy's orders also call for an executive within 30 days to lead the program. Politico was the first to report the new directive. NASA has previously worked on similar projects in collaboration the Department of Energy and others, including a fission surface power project that would provide the moon with at least 40 kilowatts of power — enough to continuously run 30 households for 10 years, according to the NASA website. A nuclear reactor would assist with long stays on the moon, but the newly unveiled plans do not yet specify when a base could be built. Lunar surface power needs are at least 100kWe for long-term human operations, according to estimates cited by NASA. 'Energy is important, and if we're going to be able to sustain life on the moon, to then go to Mars, this technology is critically important,' Duffy said. The directive is Duffy's first big initiative since he was named NASA's acting administrator in July, an extra job he's been criticized for accepting alongside Secretary of Transportation, an agency that has had a tumultuous year navigating aviation safety incidents. He also issued a second directive last Thursday that could accelerate efforts to create a commercial space station to replace the International Space Station. NASA will seek more proposals within 60 days, and at least two companies will be awarded a contract within six months of the agency's request for proposals, according to the directive. The order changes the way the agency awards contracts by adding some flexibility. The aging International Space Station has experienced problems with leaks in recent years and is expected to be retired by 2030.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
NASA wants US to be the first nation to put nuclear reactor on the moon
Federal agencies Space programsFacebookTweetLink Follow Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy has directed the agency to fast-track plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. Expediting work to place a reactor on the lunar surface to help power moon exploration efforts would keep the United States ahead of China and Russia, both of which have 'announced on at least three occasions' a joint effort to develop such a project by the mid-2030s, according to a directive dated July 31 and obtained by CNN. If another country were to achieve this feat first, it could declare a 'keep-out zone' that would effectively hold the US back from its goal of establishing a presence on the lunar surface through NASA's Artemis program. The agency's Artemis III mission, currently planned for 2027, is expected to return humans to the surface of the moon for the first time in more than five decades. But the program still has several milestones in order to reach that target. 'We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon,' Duffy told reporters at a news conference Tuesday on drones. 'And to have a base on the moon, we need energy.' Duffy's orders also call for an executive within 30 days to lead the program. Politico was the first to report the new directive. NASA has previously worked on similar projects in collaboration the Department of Energy and others, including a fission surface power project that would provide the moon with at least 40 kilowatts of power — enough to continuously run 30 households for 10 years, according to the NASA website. A nuclear reactor would assist with long stays on the moon, but the newly unveiled plans do not yet specify when a base could be built. Lunar surface power needs are at least 100kWe for long-term human operations, according to estimates cited by NASA. 'Energy is important, and if we're going to be able to sustain life on the moon, to then go to Mars, this technology is critically important,' Duffy said. The directive is Duffy's first big initiative since he was named NASA's acting administrator in July, an extra job he's been criticized for accepting alongside Secretary of Transportation, an agency that has had a tumultuous year navigating aviation safety incidents. He also issued a second directive last Thursday that could accelerate efforts to create a commercial space station to replace the International Space Station. NASA will seek more proposals within 60 days, and at least two companies will be awarded a contract within six months of the agency's request for proposals, according to the directive. The order changes the way the agency awards contracts by adding some flexibility. The aging International Space Station has experienced problems with leaks in recent years and is expected to be retired by 2030.
