UK govt powers up Rolls-Royce's plan to build N-reactor on moon

The UKSA said it wanted to establish a new power source to support systems for communications, life-support and scientific experiments on the Moon

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) said on Friday it would back research by Rolls-Royce  looking at the use of nuclear power on the moon. 

In a statement, the government agency said researchers from Rolls-Royce had been working on a Micro-Reactor program “to develop technology that will provide power needed for humans to live and work on the Moon,” CNBC reported.

The UKSA will now provide £2.9 million ($3.52 million) of funding for the project and the firm has been asked to demonstrate how nuclear micro reactors could extend the duration of future missions to the Moon.

The agency’s chief executive Paul Bate said: “We