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Rolls-Royce To Engage UAE On Lunar Nuclear Power Reactor Project | |
| Sumita Pawar |
Rolls-Royce has secured funding from the UK Space Agency for research on how nuclear power could be used to support a future Moon base for astronauts.
According to the report, scientists and engineers at Rolls-Royce are working on the Micro-Reactor programme to develop technology and deploy it to the lunar surface to provide the power needed for humans to live and work on the Moon.
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John Kelly, Rolls Royce President, Middle East, Türkiye and Africa said, the company engaged with the UAE Space Agency on the Micro-Reactor programme.
“In fact, we have already interacted with the UAE Space Agency, chaired by HE Sarah Al Amiri as we head towards COP28, to be in Dubai, and the Dubai Airshow – both of which will include a key theme of sustainable space exploration,” Kelly said.
“The micro-reactor technology would be a superb example of non-carbon technology to accelerate progress with net zero still in mind”.
Report said, all space missions depend on a power source, to support systems for communications, life-support and science experiments, the company said in a statement. Nuclear power has the potential to dramatically increase the duration of future lunar missions and their scientific value.
The UK Space Agency announced over $3.5 million of new funding for the project which will deliver an initial demonstration of a UK lunar modular nuclear reactor. This follows a $304,000 study funded by the UK Space Agency in 2022, it highlighted.
Commenting on Nuclear energy to power space exploration Kelly added, “The UAE has achieved phenomenal success in recent years, demonstrated by Sultan Al Neyadi recently becoming the second Emirati to journey to the International Space Station.”
“The UAE has a strong vision and ambition to lead space exploration, including lunar and mars exploration.
The model of partnership offers a significant opportunity for collaboration with Rolls-Royce regarding the micro-reactor technology,” he added.
The nuclear micro-reactor is envisioned to be relatively small and lightweight compared to other power systems, Rolls Royce said in a statement. It could enable continuous power regardless of location, available sunlight, and other environmental conditions.
Report further stated, Rolls-Royce will be working alongside a variety of collaborators including the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear AMRC. The funding means Rolls-Royce can further strengthen its knowledge of these complex systems, with a focus on three key features of the Micro-Reactor; the fuel used to generate heat, the method of heat transfer and technology to convert that heat into electricity.
The potential applications of Rolls-Royce Micro-Reactor technology are wide-ranging and could support commercial and defence use cases in addition to those in space.