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(Bloomberg) — British engine maker Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc has halted a plan backed by millions in government funding to put a mini nuclear reactor on the Moon, the Telegraph reported.
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The program, which planned to ready a nuclear micro-reactor to send to the Moon by 2029, is at a standstill due to a lack of potential partners, the newspaper reported. Rolls-Royce is still prepared to resume work on the project, the paper said.
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The project, which was backed by the UK Space Agency and looked into how nuclear power could be used to support a future Moon base for astronauts, had received £9 million ($12 million) in government funding, the Telegraph added. The UK aerospace manufacturer said last March it was in conversations with a range of potential partners for launch and landing services as well as lunar transportation.
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A representative for Rolls Royce confirmed that there are no current contracts in place with the UK Space Agency to progress the space nuclear micro-reactor system.
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The news stands in contrast with recently renewed commitment by the US to supporting research and development of a nuclear source to use on the Moon. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement in January that America is committed to returning to the Moon, building the infrastructure to stay, as well as making investments for space missions “to Mars and beyond.”
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Nuclear energy is seen as a potentially viable power source for future Moon exploration and habitation. A lunar surface reactor would potentially enable future sustained missions to the Moon by providing continuous and abundant power, regardless of sunlight or temperature.
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Rolls-Royce received funding of £2.9 million from the UK Space Agency in March 2023 to explore how nuclear power could be used to support future lunar bases. The company was working on two contracts with the space agency — the first targeting concept design and the second involving product development, primarily from the US.
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(Updates with response from Rolls-Royce in fourth paragraph.)
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English (US)