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NASA Kilopower (space mission nuclear reactor)
In development for several years, Kilopower has been stated to scalable, with outputs from 1-100 KWe. Stirling cycle tech.
Concept presentation (2016 PDF)....
SpaceNews op-ed....
The first full up test was scheduled to performed recently, and now they and their partners have scheduled a briefing for tomorrow - January 11, 2018.
This could eliminate the need for many RTG's, and allow for more powerful missions. Also usable for powering bases etc., and SpaceX has talked about using them.
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/n...ce-exploration
Concept presentation (2016 PDF)....
SpaceNews op-ed....
The first full up test was scheduled to performed recently, and now they and their partners have scheduled a briefing for tomorrow - January 11, 2018.
This could eliminate the need for many RTG's, and allow for more powerful missions. Also usable for powering bases etc., and SpaceX has talked about using them.
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/n...ce-exploration
NASA, Partners Discuss Power for Future Space Exploration
NASA and its partners will host a news conference at noon EST (9 a.m. PST) Thursday, Jan. 18, at the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, to discuss a recent experiment involving a new power source that could provide the safe, efficient and plentiful energy needed for future robotic and human space exploration missions.
Audio of the news conference and presentation slides will stream live on NASAs website.
Representatives from NASA, the National Nuclear Security Administrations (NNSAs) Los Alamos National Laboratory and Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will discuss and take questions on the Kilopower project, which aims to demonstrate space fission power systems technology that has the potential to enable future crewed surface missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Testing began in November 2017 and is expected to continue through March.
The news conference participants will be:
Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator of NASAs Space Technology Mission Directorate
Angela Chambers, manager of the Department of Energys Nuclear Criticality Safety Program
Mark Martinez, president of Mission Support and Test Services, LLC, which manages and operates the Nevada National Security Site for the NNSA
Janet Kavandi, director of NASAs Glenn Research Center
Lee Mason, NASAs principal technologist for power and energy storage
Pat McClure, Kilopower project lead at Los Alamos
Marc Gibson, Kilopower lead engineer at Glenn Research Center
Dave Poston, chief reactor designer at Los Alamos
Media interested in participating in the event, in person or by phone, must send their name, media affiliation and phone number to Gina Anderson at gina.n.anderson@nasa.gov no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16.
Members of the public also can ask questions during the briefing on social media using #AskNASA.
Supporting images and video will be available online at:
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/kilopower
The Kilopower project is part of NASAs Game Changing Development program and is led by the agencys Glenn Research Center, in partnership with NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Los Alamos, NNSS and the Y-12 National Security Complex.
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NASA and its partners will host a news conference at noon EST (9 a.m. PST) Thursday, Jan. 18, at the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, to discuss a recent experiment involving a new power source that could provide the safe, efficient and plentiful energy needed for future robotic and human space exploration missions.
Audio of the news conference and presentation slides will stream live on NASAs website.
Representatives from NASA, the National Nuclear Security Administrations (NNSAs) Los Alamos National Laboratory and Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will discuss and take questions on the Kilopower project, which aims to demonstrate space fission power systems technology that has the potential to enable future crewed surface missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Testing began in November 2017 and is expected to continue through March.
The news conference participants will be:
Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator of NASAs Space Technology Mission Directorate
Angela Chambers, manager of the Department of Energys Nuclear Criticality Safety Program
Mark Martinez, president of Mission Support and Test Services, LLC, which manages and operates the Nevada National Security Site for the NNSA
Janet Kavandi, director of NASAs Glenn Research Center
Lee Mason, NASAs principal technologist for power and energy storage
Pat McClure, Kilopower project lead at Los Alamos
Marc Gibson, Kilopower lead engineer at Glenn Research Center
Dave Poston, chief reactor designer at Los Alamos
Media interested in participating in the event, in person or by phone, must send their name, media affiliation and phone number to Gina Anderson at gina.n.anderson@nasa.gov no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16.
Members of the public also can ask questions during the briefing on social media using #AskNASA.
Supporting images and video will be available online at:
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/kilopower
The Kilopower project is part of NASAs Game Changing Development program and is led by the agencys Glenn Research Center, in partnership with NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Los Alamos, NNSS and the Y-12 National Security Complex.
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