NASA plans to establish space bases on the Moon and Mars to produce nuclear energy there, in order to cater for future settlements. NASA scientists and officials from the Department of Energy (DOE) of the United States are planning to realize various settlements beyond our planet. According to plans that are conducting these instances, it would list a colony on the moon by 2025 and Mars by 2030.
These planetary bases could be inhabited by astronauts or by robots. However, the key to making these ambitious initiatives can be realized is the generation of nuclear power outside the planet Earth.
In process:
Experts from NASA and DOE have already begun developing the technologies needed to build nuclear power plants, according to the physical environment of the Moon and Mars. As part of the Annual Convention of the American Chemical Society, a director of the project commented, James Werner, mentioned some of the details of evocative adventure astronautics. It is anticipated a demonstration of progress, 2012.
Promising technology:
According to Werner, these nuclear power generators installed on the Moon and Mars will work from fission systems compact and safe. Such energy sources are essential for any possible human settlement on other planets, at least in the short to medium term.
Werner also ponders the fact that, thanks to this technology that is in the process, it requires a large physical space to install a nuclear power plant. Fission energy in this case has another point in its favor, of great use for research astronautics. Furthermore, using this technology does not require cooling towers, since its total size is not larger than a carry-on bag.
Changing course:
To date, plans for the future of space exploration were directed towards the use of solar energy to generate electricity, as well as the fuel space vehicles could carry. However, recently determined that solar cells have serious limitations to supply the energy required to move a spacecraft. This last detail is more problematic in future trips thinking beyond the solar system and thus drive away from our star could offer with its light.
Together with the previous project, the NASA is working on another on regenerative production, so that through this process, the astronauts could grow their own food, for example, from the cultivation of plants in spacecraft.
