Rolls-Royce gets $6M to develop its ambitious nuclear space reactor

Rolls-Royce has received an additional £4.8 million (US$6.2 million) in funding from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) to develop key technology for a nuclear micro-reactor that could one day power lunar bases and spacecraft propulsion.Continue ReadingCategor… Continue reading Rolls-Royce gets $6M to develop its ambitious nuclear space reactor

Massive lunar cavern: Prime real estate for an underground Moon base

If you’ve wondered where future Moon explorers will live, it may be in natural caves deep beneath the lunar crust. Radar data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter confirms that giant lava tubes lead to tunnels large enough to house entire bases.Con… Continue reading Massive lunar cavern: Prime real estate for an underground Moon base

New microwave process could let astronauts make bricks out of moon dust

Scientists have developed what could be a much quicker and easier technique for astronauts to make building-construction bricks out of lunar soil. The secret lies in heating that moon dust, then sticking it in an aerospace-grade microwave oven.Continue… Continue reading New microwave process could let astronauts make bricks out of moon dust

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ,

China first to haul back rocks from the far side of the Moon

A somewhat scorched Chang’e-6 return craft landed in Inner Mongolia yesterday, bringing with it the first rock and dust samples from the far side of the Moon – and hopes of unlocking some lunar secrets.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: Chin… Continue reading China first to haul back rocks from the far side of the Moon

First Detection of Negative Ions on the Moon, Far-Side Soil Samples Headed to Earth

“The first European Space Agency instrument to land on the Moon has detected the presence of negative ions on the lunar surface produced through interactions with the solar wind,” according to a statement from the agency, collecting over three hours of… Continue reading First Detection of Negative Ions on the Moon, Far-Side Soil Samples Headed to Earth

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged

New nuclear heaters use americium-241 to stop spacecraft freezing

Commercial operations on the Moon won’t just be round-the-clock but round-the-calendar as ispace, inc. and the University of Leicester partner to develop nuclear heaters to allow future landers and rovers to survive the freezing lunar night.Continue Re… Continue reading New nuclear heaters use americium-241 to stop spacecraft freezing