Most spacecraft rely on solar panels for power, but missions to the Moon’s permanently shadowed craters and the distant outer solar system cannot depend on sunlight. Could energy-dense nuclear fuel provide a reliable alternative for space exploration?
In this Nature video, we explore the work of Perpetual Atomics, a spin-off company from the University of Leicester in the UK. The researchers have developed a space nuclear power technology that uses byproducts from terrestrial nuclear reactors as fuel for future space missions.
The company’s nuclear power systems are expected to be installed on the Rosalind Franklin rover, which is scheduled to travel to Mars by 2030.
Source: www.nature.com