BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Brad Klein reviews upcoming astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire.
This week, a discussion of how to provide power to a future base for astronauts on the moon.
News reports in recent weeks have indicated that the Trump administration is moving forward with plans to place a nuclear reactor on the moon by the year 2030. It’s an idea that has been discussed for years.
Although solar panels have powered many space missions, the surface of the moon is in darkness for about two weeks at a time, limiting the power that can be obtained from the sun.
A compact nuclear reactor is one answer, but such a mission poses a number of problems. The reactor must be launched safely, and operate in an environment without access to the water that cools most nuclear reactors on Earth.
“And then after the life of the reactor is done, how do you decommission it safely?” asked McGuire.
The effort is one small part of an emerging space race involving the United States, China, and Russia to establish a long term base on the lunar surface.