'Suitcase' Sized Nuclear Reactor Will One Day Power Space Colonies

Nuclear power may be a sensitive subject, but it could also be crucial for man to explore and live on planets other than our own. A compact, "suitcase-size" nuclear power plant could one day generate electricity for manned or unmanned bases on the moon, Mars, or other planets. Plans for nuclear fission reactors in extraterrestrial environments were unveiled at the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society. James E. Werner, the project leader at the U.S. Department of Energy, said that unlike terrestrial nuclear power plants that require cooling towers and other large structures to operate, the proposed fission technology would be smaller and look very different. The reactor itself may be about 1 ½ feet wide and 2 ½ feet high, and useful anywhere NASA sees the need for continuous power. According to Werner, a fission power system is compact, reliable and safe. A fission power system contains components similar to those found in the commercial reactors currently in use, but for space applications, nuclear fission is a bit different. Werner explains that while the physics are the same, the smaller reactor requires lower power levels, new materials, and different levels of control. Nuclear power offers some edge over sunlight and fuel cells that were the mainstays for generating electricity for space missions in the past. Werner believes that once the technology is developed and validated it would be one of the most viable options for providing long-term base power for space exploration.