China’s space program is developing a powerful new nuclear reactor. This new reactor is expected to be more efficient than a reactor being developed by NASA for use on the Moon to support a permanent manned base. The Chinese say that this new reactor technology will be used in the planned Mars missions.
China claims that its new reactor design will be a hundred times more efficient than the reactor that NASA expects to send to Moon in 2030. China’s new nuclear reactor could generate over a megawatt of electric power. Cooling may be an issue for the new Chinese reactor. Only some of the heat generated by the new reactor will be used to generate electricity. The rest of the heat must be dissipated into space to avoid a meltdown. Because of its small size, it will run at higher temperatures than commercial reactor on Earth.
Jiang Jieqiong is a professor with the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Nuclear Safety Technology. He said that the reactor might use a foldable structure similar to an umbrella. This could increase the surface area of the radiators.
Chemical fuel and solar power are not going to be sufficient to meet the needs of human space exploration and exploitation according to two scientists. One said, “Nuclear power is the most hopeful solution. Other nations have launched some ambitious plans. China cannot afford the cost of losing this race,”
At the moment, China is one of the leading countries in space activities. Recently, a technology website said that China was twenty years ahead of the U.S. in terms of Mars exploration. To me, this seems to be an extravagant claim.
The new Chinese nuclear reactor is part of a project that is receiving funding from China’s central government. This innovative space technology was already being worked on in 2019. The exact launch date and technical details of the new powerful reactor are not yet disclosed by China.
Two of the scientists working on the prototype reactors say that the engineering design is already finished. Some essential components were also constructed to enhance the new reactor. One of the anonymous Chinese space experts involved in the project said, “Nuclear power is the most hopeful solution. Other nations have launched some ambitious plans. China cannot afford the cost of losing this race.”
China has admitted that since the new nuclear space technology is very ambitious, the project might still have some challenges as it nears its launch date. Currently, China has only been able to launch one nuclear device into orbit. This was a small radioactive battery on the Yutu 2 space probe.
This new reactor program makes it clear that China is further advancing in the ongoing international space race. Some experts say that China is still catching up with the U.S.
The South China Morning Post says that the programs to develop nuclear reactors for use in space are shrouded in secrecy. This means that there is no legislation in place to deal with possible accidents such as a botched launch that might release nuclear materials or a meltdown in space.