NASA Is Testing a Mini Nuclear Reactor to Keep The Lights on When We Get to Mars (ScienceAlert)

DAVID NIELD
21 JAN 2018

Once we've figured out the logistics of getting people to Mars, there's the small matter of providing power for the first travellers to arrive.

NASA is already testing a compact nuclear power plant that could keep the lights on through the cold Martian nights.

With storage space at a premium and weight an issue for spacecraft journeying for millions of miles, taking fuel with us isn't really an option, which is why the Kilopower reactor could be so vital.

Various different models are being experimented with, from a 1-kilowatt version that can power up a toaster, to a 10-kilowatt reactor – around four or five of these would be enough to keep a small habitat up and running on Mars, according to the researchers involved.

"Mars is a very difficult environment for power systems, with less sunlight than Earth or the Moon, very cold night time temperatures, very interesting dust storms that can last weeks and months that engulf the entire planet," one of the team, NASA's Steve Jurczyk, told Will Dunham at Reuters.
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more: https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-mini-nuclear-reactor-brings-power-to-mars?perpetual=yes&limitstart=1