Rolls-Royce Enters Space Sector with New Micro Nuclear Reactor Designed for Space Travel, Mining and More

 

International Conference on Nuclear Physics


Largely known for its luxury cars, Rolls-Royce has decided to apply its expertise in crafting durable, enduring engines to space exploration!

After over a century of ruling the automotive industry and manufacturing aircraft engines, marine propulsion systems, and power-generation systems, the company decided to dip its toes in the space sector when it signed a contract with the UK Space Agency in 2021.








And determined as Rolls-Royce was to study future nuclear power solutions that would be required in space in the decades to come, it has unveiled its novel nuclear micro-reactor for space travel and moon bases.

Nuclear power offers significant advantages in space exploration, are sustainable and usually use uranium as their fuel because of the abundant energy in this element. However, Rolls-Royce claimed that each uranium particle in their reactor would be encapsulated in multiple protective layers, acting as a containment system, allowing the micro-reactor to withstand extreme conditions.

Rolls-Royce is hopeful that the micro-reactor will help achieve high-mac propulsion using gas turbine and ramjet technology. And claims that harnessing the natural decay of nuclear material inside the reactor will provide reliable power in space.



Nuclear reactors decay and release heat over decades, generating power – power that can be used to power scientific and communications equipment.

Further, the self-contained and power-dense solution could also power activities such as mining on the surface of neighbouring planets.

Amanda Solloway, UK MP (Minister for Science, Research and Innovation), said, “Nuclear power presents transformative possibilities for space exploration, and the innovative study we are conducting with Rolls-Royce on this could help to propel our next generation of astronauts into space faster and for longer, significantly increasing our knowledge of the universe.”

Meanwhile, NASA recently announced similar goals in cooperation with DARPA.



The reactor, which is called the "Rolls-Royce UKSMR (UK Small Modular Reactor) for Space" is a compact, low-maintenance nuclear power plant that can generate up to 10 megawatts of electricity. It is designed to be small enough to fit on a spacecraft, making it a valuable source of power for long-duration missions.

The UKSMR uses low-enriched uranium fuel and operates at a high temperature, which allows it to generate more electricity than traditional power sources. The reactor also features advanced safety systems that allow it to shut down automatically in the event of a malfunction.

In addition to space travel, the UKSMR has potential applications in mining and other industries that require remote power sources. For example, it could be used to power mining operations in remote locations where traditional power sources are not available or practical.

Rolls-Royce has already received funding from the UK Space Agency to develop the UKSMR, and the company is working with various partners to develop the technology further. If successful, the UKSMR could revolutionize the way we explore space and perform other remote activities that require reliable, low-cost sources of power.

#NuclearFuel #Uranium #Enrichment #NuclearPower #NuclearEnergy #CleanEnergy #SustainableEnergy #EnergySecurity #NuclearScience #FuelAssembly #NuclearReaction #PowerGeneration #Electricity #Mining #ProcessingPlant #FuelRods #NuclearTechnology


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