Russia plans to put a nuclear reactor on the Moon – with China's help
(2024/03/06)
- Reference: 1709735409
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/03/06/russia_nuclear_reactor_moon/
- Source link:
Roscosmos and China are considering putting a nuclear reactor on the Moon, according to the Russian space agency's boss.
Moscow mouthpiece [1]Tass states the mission would be automated and have a 2033-2035 time frame.
Roscosmos boss Yury Borisov claimed the technology necessary for the mission was almost ready and told the World Youth Festival (held in Russia): "Today, we are seriously considering a project to deliver to the Moon and mount a power reactor there jointly with our Chinese partners."
[2]
NASA has also [3]awarded design contracts for nuclear power on the Moon.
[4]
[5]
Russia has not had the best of luck in modern times when it comes to missions to the Moon. In 2023, its Luna 25 lander [6]smeared itself over the lunar surface following a botched orbital burn. The misery of Roscosmos engineers was compounded when India's Chandrayaan-3 mission landed successfully mere days later.
While Roscosmos talked up its plans for a nuclear reactor on the Moon, China has continued progressing toward reusable rockets. In an interview published by [7]China News , Wang Wei of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said that 4-meter-class and 5-meter-class reusable rockets were scheduled to fly for the first time in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
SpaceX has demonstrated the effectiveness of reusable rockets, and its rivals have since been scrambling to catch up. Blue Origin's New Glenn first stage is designed to be reusable, and United Launch Alliance's proposed SMART system would make the first stage engines of the company's Vulcan rocket recoverable.
[8]Boffins propose fiber-optic network for the Moon
[9]NASA and Japan's X-ray satellite space 'scope sends first snaps of distant galaxies
[10]Juno fly-by detects lower levels of oxygen on Europa than expected
[11]The batteries on Odysseus, the hero private Moon lander, have run out
Governmental and commercial entities have since attempted the feat with varying levels of success. However, China's Chang'e probes have worked well, with the most recent – Chang'e 5 – successfully landing on the Moon and sending a sample of lunar soil back to Earth.
Chang'e 6, another sample return mission, is due to launch in the first half of 2024. It will be followed by a resource prospector in 2026 and Chang'e 8 in 2028. Chang'e 8 is expected to be a precursor to the construction of a lunar base.
So Borisov's timing could work. And it isn't as though the Russians haven't put radioactive power sources on the Moon before – the Lunokhod rover had a [12]Polonium-210 isotopic heat source to keep the electronics warm during the lunar night. Not quite a nuclear reactor, of course.
[13]
However Russia has long since lost the ability to land something on the Moon, let alone go trundling, as demonstrated by the Luna 25 mishap.
A bigger question is whether China really needs or even wants Russian involvement in its lunar program. The two [14]signed off on International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) plans in 2021, but the Luna 25 incident will likely have given Russia's partners pause for thought. ILRS calls for "long-term unmanned operation with the prospect of subsequent human presence." ®
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[1] https://tass.com/science/1755793
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZeihOLKKzWZPVXzUFf-@owAAAEI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-announces-artemis-concept-awards-for-nuclear-power-on-moon/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZeihOLKKzWZPVXzUFf-@owAAAEI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/21/russia_moon_mission_luna25_fails/
[7] https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2024/03-04/10174021.shtml
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/06/fiberoptic_network_moon/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/06/japans_xrism_graduates_to_nominal/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/05/juno_finds_less_oxygen_on/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/02/batteries_odysseus/
[12] http://www.astronautix.com/l/lunaye-8.html
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZeihOLKKzWZPVXzUFf-@owAAAEI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/n6465652/n6465653/c6812150/content.html
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Moscow mouthpiece [1]Tass states the mission would be automated and have a 2033-2035 time frame.
Roscosmos boss Yury Borisov claimed the technology necessary for the mission was almost ready and told the World Youth Festival (held in Russia): "Today, we are seriously considering a project to deliver to the Moon and mount a power reactor there jointly with our Chinese partners."
[2]
NASA has also [3]awarded design contracts for nuclear power on the Moon.
[4]
[5]
Russia has not had the best of luck in modern times when it comes to missions to the Moon. In 2023, its Luna 25 lander [6]smeared itself over the lunar surface following a botched orbital burn. The misery of Roscosmos engineers was compounded when India's Chandrayaan-3 mission landed successfully mere days later.
While Roscosmos talked up its plans for a nuclear reactor on the Moon, China has continued progressing toward reusable rockets. In an interview published by [7]China News , Wang Wei of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said that 4-meter-class and 5-meter-class reusable rockets were scheduled to fly for the first time in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
SpaceX has demonstrated the effectiveness of reusable rockets, and its rivals have since been scrambling to catch up. Blue Origin's New Glenn first stage is designed to be reusable, and United Launch Alliance's proposed SMART system would make the first stage engines of the company's Vulcan rocket recoverable.
[8]Boffins propose fiber-optic network for the Moon
[9]NASA and Japan's X-ray satellite space 'scope sends first snaps of distant galaxies
[10]Juno fly-by detects lower levels of oxygen on Europa than expected
[11]The batteries on Odysseus, the hero private Moon lander, have run out
Governmental and commercial entities have since attempted the feat with varying levels of success. However, China's Chang'e probes have worked well, with the most recent – Chang'e 5 – successfully landing on the Moon and sending a sample of lunar soil back to Earth.
Chang'e 6, another sample return mission, is due to launch in the first half of 2024. It will be followed by a resource prospector in 2026 and Chang'e 8 in 2028. Chang'e 8 is expected to be a precursor to the construction of a lunar base.
So Borisov's timing could work. And it isn't as though the Russians haven't put radioactive power sources on the Moon before – the Lunokhod rover had a [12]Polonium-210 isotopic heat source to keep the electronics warm during the lunar night. Not quite a nuclear reactor, of course.
[13]
However Russia has long since lost the ability to land something on the Moon, let alone go trundling, as demonstrated by the Luna 25 mishap.
A bigger question is whether China really needs or even wants Russian involvement in its lunar program. The two [14]signed off on International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) plans in 2021, but the Luna 25 incident will likely have given Russia's partners pause for thought. ILRS calls for "long-term unmanned operation with the prospect of subsequent human presence." ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://tass.com/science/1755793
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZeihOLKKzWZPVXzUFf-@owAAAEI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-announces-artemis-concept-awards-for-nuclear-power-on-moon/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZeihOLKKzWZPVXzUFf-@owAAAEI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZeihOLKKzWZPVXzUFf-@owAAAEI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/21/russia_moon_mission_luna25_fails/
[7] https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2024/03-04/10174021.shtml
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/06/fiberoptic_network_moon/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/06/japans_xrism_graduates_to_nominal/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/05/juno_finds_less_oxygen_on/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/02/batteries_odysseus/
[12] http://www.astronautix.com/l/lunaye-8.html
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZeihOLKKzWZPVXzUFf-@owAAAEI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/n6465652/n6465653/c6812150/content.html
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: In combination with Russia's recent promise "we will never put nuclear weapons in space"
Tom Chiverton 1
Why would you hoist nukes up there to fire them down again, when you can just throw rocks ?
Re: In combination with Russia's recent promise "we will never put nuclear weapons in space"
Anonymous Coward
Please tell me this is a parody post, right?
Re: In combination with Russia's recent promise "we will never put nuclear weapons in space"
Pascal Monett
It would be vastly more costly to lug a nuke to the Moon instead of parking it in Earth orbit (probably not LEO either, but much higher up).
And it's not just getting it to the Moon, it's all the infrastructure that would need to exist on-site to make it launcheable. Which means landing a whole lot of stuff beforehand that is specifically destined to launch a nuke. The kind of thing that would be quite visible, what with all the telescopes we have on Earth and in orbit, for any expert that would care to check out the installation. Which would lead to diplomatic issues that would likely make the Cuban missile crisis look like a stroll in the park in summer.
Not going to happen, is what I'm saying.
A sample of what now?
User McUser
[...] landing on the Moon and sending a sample of lunar soil back to Earth.
The moon is covered in regolith, not soil.
Re: A sample of what now?
Pascal Monett
Indeed. And it isn't soft soil either. It's more like volcanic dust, with jagged edges all over the place that find their way into joints and wear them down way faster than just dust would.
In combination with Russia's recent promise "we will never put nuclear weapons in space"
I find this extremely worrying.. It would be very easy to launch nuclear weapons from the Moon to hit anywhere on Earth with no possible defence.. It would be the ultimate doomsday weapon. I can't see how we could trust anyone, never mind Russia and China to operate a reactor on the Moon (out of reach of IAEA observers, for sure) without the possibility or probability of it being used as a lunar weapons factory..