The ambitious project NASA intends to pursue on the Moon, and is closer to making it a reality – Teach Me About Science

One of man’s dreams is to know other planets and populate them, because it is part of the need to expand what we know and to know beyond the limits of what is in front of our eyes. Whether we are unique or not. We search not just to find something, but also because we want to search.

And, as part of this curiosity and need to know, NASA has set itself a very clear objective: to reach the Moon and establish itself on it. It’s not the only space agency that has this in mind, but it wants to be the first to do it successfully; To this end, NASA has concrete plans to make this space mission a success.

Reaching the Moon is a goal that is rapidly approaching reality

With the help of technology, which is advancing rapidly and rapidly introducing new and better options, NASA has launched a new project to investigate the energy sources that currently exist for scheduled permanent missions to the Moon. are more sustainable than the sources. This project has been named disintegration surface force (FSP), which seeks to provide a sustainable and reliable energy source to support the missions in charge of taking the first humans to the Moon, so that they can inhabit them indefinitely, through fission reactors.

According to Universe Today, for this mission to be successful there needs to be a source that provides a lot of energy, and traditional fossil fuels are not the best option, adding that the solar cells on the surface will not work for two weeks. , so the best option is to use a nuclear power plant facility. It is the cleanest and most reliable method in this type of missions, without forgetting that it is much more efficient than solar-type sources.

“Abundant energy will be the key to future space exploration,” Jim Reuter, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), said in a NASA news release. “I expect that surface fission energy systems will greatly benefit our plans for energy architecture for the Moon and Mars and even spur innovation for use on Earth.”

Three companies specializing in nuclear technology have been awarded contracts to submit preliminary designs for the required reactor and related systems: Lookheed Martin, Westinghouse and IX. The requirements are demanding: the reactor must have a useful life of at least 10 years, be able to operate without the need for human maintenance during this period, weigh less than six tons and be able to produce 40 kilowatts of power. Must have capacity. All these requirements are necessary to keep a small colony of astronauts alive.

However, the reactor design will not only power the Artemis mission to the Moon, but also lay the foundation for the development of similar systems that could be used on Mars and other long-term missions. It will not be until 2025 that there will be more news about the second phase of the program, where it will be known whether the FSP remains in effect.