Rolls-Royce showed us the nuclear future of next-generation spacecraft and lunar bases by unveiling a mock-up of its space microreactor concept model at the UK Space Conference in Belfast from 21 to 30 November 2023.

With numerous countries and private companies planning to launch more and more manned and unmanned missions to the Moon, as well as expanding into deep space, finding a reliable source of energy beyond solar panels is becoming imperative.

Additionally, chemical rockets have been operating close to their theoretical limits since the first V2 tests in World War II. As humanity moves further into space and the need to protect and maintain satellites in Earth orbit increases, a more efficient propulsion system is needed.

As part of a £2.9 million ($3.6 million) program funded by the British Space Agency, Rolls-Royce is working on a new microreactor to meet these needs. This small, advanced reactor, planned to be demonstrated on the Moon early next decade, is designed not only to provide future bases with the electricity needed to carry out very ambitious missions, but also to heat the bases so they can survive. extremely high conditions. A cold moonlit night.

In addition, the new reactor is designed to serve as a power source for electrical and other propulsion systems that will extend flight range to the outer solar system and beyond and allow maintenance and patrol spacecraft to move between Earth orbits at much greater speed. and greater flexibility than is possible today.

This is all well and good, but until now the public and industry only had concept art of the microreactor. Until Rolls-Royce unveiled a model of a demonstration reactor that would answer the questions of how heat will be produced, how this heat will be transferred and how it will be converted into electricity.

The mock-up is a cross-section showing the basic design of the microreactor; In this design they appear to be either fuel rods (which is unlikely) or part of a heat transfer system. According to the company, the device is a fission reactor that operates on the same principle as commercial power reactors on Earth, but uses an improved design based on TRi-Structural Isotropic Fuel (TRISO), a fuel option for pebble bed reactors. The layer that replaces the rods with billiard ball-sized fuel balls made of enriched uranium, carbon and oxygen. The uranium core is sealed within layers of carbon and ceramics. This is inherently safer than fuel rods and allows for a simpler gas cooling system.

Abby Clayton from Rolls said: “Funding from the British Space Agency has enabled the Rolls-Royce Micro-Reactor program to showcase the best of British innovation and expertise in space, working with the British Space Agency, UK academic institutions and industry partners.” -Royce Director of Future Programs. “This funding has enabled significant research and technology development that brings us closer to making the microreactor a reality. Our conceptual model of the space microreactor allows us to demonstrate how this technology will provide tremendous benefits to both space and Earth.

“Micro Reactor technology will provide the ability to support commercial and defense use cases while providing a solution to decarbonise industry and provide clean, safe and reliable energy.” Source: Rolls-Royce