Why the race to put a nuclear reactor on the moon? America, China and Russia are preparing

America, Russia and China are preparing to install nuclear reactors on the moon. The biggest reason behind it is to establish a human colony on the moon in the future and exploit the natural resources present there. All three countries want to build such bases on the moon, where scientists can stay for long periods of time and conduct research. This would require continuous electricity, which could be met by nuclear reactors.

Deep craters near the Moon’s south pole are likely to contain water ice. Sunlight has not reached these areas for millions of years. Scientists want to make water, oxygen for breathing and rocket fuel from this ice. Apart from this, minerals like aluminium, titanium and silicon can also be mined on the moon. This can be used in making satellites and other space related tasks.

Why won’t solar energy work on the moon?

It is not easy to generate electricity continuously by solar panels on the moon. This is because sunlight does not reach any part of the moon for about two weeks. In such a situation the solar panel will not work. During this period, providing electricity from batteries will be expensive. At the same time, sending diesel and other things from Earth to the Moon would also cost a lot.

According to Simon Middleburgh, director of the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University, a base built on the Moon would require constant electricity. Nuclear energy can fulfill this need. According to him, three to four nuclear reactors may be needed to operate the ice mining and lunar base.

How many power generating reactors are America and Russia preparing?

The American space agency NASA announced plans to build Lunar Reactor-1 in January. It is targeted to be ready by the end of 2030. The reactor will be capable of generating 20 kilowatts of electricity and will operate for five years without maintenance. It is planned to weigh less than 6,000 kg.

At the same time, Russia is building a nuclear reactor called Selena with China. Its capacity will be to generate 10 kilowatts of electricity. It is designed to last up to 10 years without maintenance. Russia aims to have a Chinese-led lunar base ready to power by 2036. It can weigh around 1,100 to 1,300 kg.

Nuclear reactors have been sent into space before

The idea of ​​sending a nuclear reactor into space is not new. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union sent more than 30 nuclear reactors into Earth orbit from the late 1960s to the late 1980s. This was used to power spy satellites. These reactors produced electricity by splitting uranium atoms.

America has also spent about 20 billion dollars on the space nuclear program over the last 70 years. However, after an experiment in 1965, he failed to send a nuclear reactor into space. In that experiment, an electrical part of the satellite was damaged, causing it to shut down after 43 days.

How will a nuclear reactor be delivered to the moon?

First nuclear reactor will be built on Earth. After this, they will be taken to the moon by a robotic spacecraft. The reactor will be shut down until it lands, to minimize the radioactive hazard. They will be activated only after landing safely on the lunar surface. These reactors will be built in such a way that they will not require any maintenance for many years. The electricity generated from this will be used for lunar bases and mining.

What happens if there is an accident in a nuclear reactor?

There is also the risk of a radioactive accident associated with installing a nuclear reactor on the Moon. According to the scientists, the radioactive hazard is reduced due to the uranium contained in the reactor before it is started. But once the reactor is operational, the risk increases. An example of this was seen in 1978. At that time, a Soviet Union satellite named Kosmos-954 crashed. A nuclear reactor was installed in it. After the accident, radioactive material was spread over an area of ​​about 1.24 lakh square kilometers in northern Canada. After this, a major campaign had to be carried out to clean up the radioactive fragments and particles. However, according to scientist Simon Middleburg, if such an accident were to happen on the moon, the impact of pollution would be limited to a limited area.

Which country will control the moon?

Legally, no country has ownership rights to the moon. Under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, no country can claim the Moon or any part of it. However, the equipment shipped there will remain the property of the respective country. The treaty does not prohibit the use of nuclear energy in space. The condition is that it should be used for peaceful purposes and not harm the environment. That means the US, Russia and China can install nuclear reactors on the moon and even mine there for peaceful purposes.