Tanya Weaver Mon 16 Dec 2024
Collected at: https://eandt.theiet.org/2024/12/16/italy-developing-small-nuclear-reactors-power-future-settlements-moon
Italy’s national space agency, ASI, has kicked off its Selene project, which aims to develop small nuclear fission reactors to provide power on the lunar surface.
There are many Moon missions currently under way – from collecting samples from the lunar surface, such as India’s Chandrayaan-4 mission to the Moon’s south pole, to having a human presence on the Moon. For instance, Nasa expects to return humans to the lunar surface by 2030 and intends to build a permanent research station near the south pole shortly after.
This human presence will require resources, one of which is energy. Selene (Sistema Energetico Lunare con l’Energia NuclearE) has received €2m in funding from ASI to develop alternative energy infrastructures on the Moon that overcome the limitations of traditional technologies, such as radio-isotope systems and solar panels.
The aim of this Moon Energy Hub (MEnH) is to provide a stable energy base for future lunar settlements through the use of small nuclear fission reactors called surface nuclear reactors (SNRs).
Angelo Olivieri, head of scientific missions at ASI, said: “Italy is strongly committed to the exploration of the Moon and the creation of a permanent lunar base.
“Regarding energy supply, the currently available solutions, based on the use of solar energy, do not allow us to achieve the challenging energy goals for future activities on the lunar surface, due to the alternation of 14 days of light and 14 days of darkness. The search for an adequate technological solution represents a field of great interest for ASI.”
The three-year project is being led by the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) in collaboration with the Department of Energy of the Polytechnic University of Milan and Thales Alenia Space Italia.
As well as developing and testing a MEnH proof of concept, the researchers will also focus on key technologies such as sensor automation and wireless power transmission. They will also develop decommissioning plans, enhance the supply chain and create a roadmap for industrialising the system.
According to ASI, a key aspect of the project is to explore how the system will be able to handle variations in energy load and manage any power outages. As such, the MEnH will feature a steerable energy transmission system to support activities operating remotely from the main power source and a mobile reception system for low-energy operations. This will ensure the system is adaptable to different lunar missions.
Mariano Tarantino, head of the nuclear systems division at ENEA, said: “By combining technological innovation, strategic vision, operability, reliability and compactness in an extremely ‘demanding’ environment such as the lunar one, the MEnH aims to become a cornerstone for future space exploration and a point of reference for the definition of a clear operational scenario and a roadmap to achieve it.”
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