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NASA Developing Nuclear Reactor For Moon and Mars

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Straight from Slashdot: “NASA recently finished testing a miniature nuclear reactor that would provide power for an astronaut base on the Moon or Mars. The reactor combines a small fission system with a Stirling engine to make a ’safe, reliable, and efficient’ way to produce electricity. The system being tested at NASA’s Glenn Research Center can produce 2.3 kilowatts and could be ready for launch by 2020, NASA officials say. The reactor ought to provide much more power than solar panels but could prove controversial with the public concerned about launching a nuclear power source and placing it on the Moon or another planet.”

Written by Jason Jeffrey

August 26, 2009 at 2:37 pm

Posted in Slashdot Story, Space

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