The UK Space Agency has announced it will be awarding £2.9million in funding to Rolls-Royce for the development of a modular nuclear reactor for use on the Moon. The system — dubbed the “Micro-Reactor” — would be used to power the lunar bases of the future, supplying energy for life-support, communications and scientific research. Nuclear power, the UK Space Agency says, “has the potential to dramatically increase the duration of future lunar missions and their scientific value.” The latest funding announcement follows the completion of a £249,000 pilot study last year.
Minister of State at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman, said: “Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth.”
This tech, he explained, ranges “from materials to robotics, nutrition, cleantech and much more.
“As we prepare to see humans return to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, we are backing exciting research like this lunar modular reactor with Rolls-Royce to pioneer a new power source for a lunar base.
“Partnerships like this, between British industry, the UK Space Agency and government are helping to create jobs across our £16billion SpaceTech sector and help ensure the UK continues to be a major force in frontier science.”
According to the UK Space Agency, a nuclear micro-reactor has many advantages as compared to other potential lunar power solutions — and not in the least that it is relatively small and lightweight.
Mass is a major concern for any hardware that needs to be constructed on Earth and shipped into orbit via rocket launches.
At the same time, however, nuclear power is also able to operate in almost any location, irrespective of factors like available sunlight and other environmental conditions.
Rolls-Royce will be working on the project in collaboration with various UK universities — including Oxford, Sheffield, Brighton and Bangor.
The funding is expected to help the firm develop the Micro-Reactor concept on three fronts in particular — the fuel used to generate heat, the method of heat transfer and the technology to convert that heat into usable electricity.
Alongside use in space, it is also expected that the tech the researchers will be developing could also be used in an assortment of commercial and defence applications.
The UK Space Agency said: “The aim is to create a world-leading power and propulsion capability for multiple markets and operator needs, alongside a cleaner, green and long-term power source.”
READ MORE: UK to invest £1.6 million in space exploration technologies
Rolls-Royce’s director of future programmes, Abi Clayton, said: “The new tranche of funding from the UK Space Agency means so much for the Rolls-Royce Micro-Reactor Programme.
“We’re proud to work collaboratively with the UK Space Agency and the many UK academic institutions to showcase the best of UK innovation and knowledge in space.
“This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with […] immense benefits for both space and Earth.
“The technology will deliver the capability to support commercial and defence use cases alongside providing a solution to decarbonise industry and provide clean, safe and reliable energy.”
The latest partnership with Rolls-Royce comes just after the UK Space Agency announced it would be granting £51million in funding to UK companies to develop communications and navigation services for missions to the Moon.
These projects will support the European Space Agency’s Moonlight programme, which is aiming to launch a satellite constellation into lunar orbit to help the astronauts and rovers of the future to communicate and navigate across the Moon’s surface.
UK Space Agency chief executive Dr Paul Bate said: “We are backing technology and capabilities to support ambitious space exploration missions and boost sector growth across the UK.
“Developing space nuclear power offers a unique chance to support innovative technologies and grow our nuclear, science and space engineering skills base.”
He concluded: “This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the Moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs and generating further investment.”
