Rolls-Royce and the UK Space Agency have signed an agreement to study the application of nuclear energy in space exploration. The first contract between the two organizations, the project will examine how nuclear energy can both power spacecraft and be used for deep-space propulsion.
As humanity becomes more of a spacefaring species, there is a growing need for power systems and propulsion engines that are closer in scale to their terrestrial counterparts. There's a limit to what can be done with chemical rockets and small robotic spacecraft operating in low-Earth orbit, and these limits are being very rapidly reached.
With a number of nations around the world taking a greater interest in ambitious deep-space missions, including sending astronauts back to the Moon and on to Mars, the problem of energy becomes critical. Using chemical rockets, payloads are very limited and very expensive to send into orbit, much less beyond that into deep space.
In addition, chemical rockets mean that travel times are very slow – often involving complex slingshot maneuvers that can take years for a spacecraft to reach its destination. Meanwhile, solar arrays are only practical in the inner solar system. Although solar-powered probes have been sent as far as Jupiter, anywhere farther out must rely on something else.
From a power point of view, nuclear systems have already proven themselves, with the Voyager 2 probe still operating after 44 years and expected to continue working into 2025. As to propulsion, nuclear rocket engines are estimated to be as much as twice as efficient as their chemical counterparts, which means that a crewed mission to Mars could take as little three months rather than six to eight. This would not only mean fewer consumables would need to be carried, but it would also reduce the amount of harmful cosmic radiation astronauts would be exposed to and minimize the effects of prolonged weightlessness.
For those who associate Rolls-Royce with jet engines, it's easy to forget that the company has been building small nuclear reactors for the Royal Navy's submarines on an entirely self-sufficient basis since 1965 and has developed three generations of such systems. The company is therefore a logical choice to study British nuclear space applications.
In addition to its use in space, the two partners see the emerging nuclear technology to have applications Earthside for both the commercial and defense markets.
"We are excited to be working with the UK Space Agency on this pioneering project to define future nuclear power technologies for space," says Dave Gordon, UK Senior Vice President, Rolls-Royce Defence.. "We believe there is a real niche UK capability in this area and this initiative can build on the strong UK nuclear network and supply chain.
"We look forward to developing this and other exciting space projects in the future as we continue to develop the power to protect our planet, secure our world and explore our universe"
Sources: Rolls-Royce, UK Space agency
