Suitcase Sized Nuclear-Power Block To Power Planetary Outposts

A project announced back in 2008 is taking shape in NASA's laboratory. It's a mini nuclear reactor in the size of a typical suitcase. It is being seen as an option to power devices & planetary outposts for a longer term. A single unit is capable of producing 40 kilowatts of power, enough to power eight typical homes for 8 years. That means powering an Outpost or a colony for a few years. As the unit is supposed to be in the size of a typical suitcase, it will be easier to carry by the satellites & that would also enable easy replacement in case of any failures. It will be based on a nuclear fission system which would require no solar power. This means the unit can also function on darker sides of planets even in caves, shaded craters & in stormy & dusty conditions.

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#-Link-Snipped-#It will also include a system which would convert heat from the reactor to electricity based on a 200 year old technology, the Stirling Engine. This would in turn power the external surface application devices. NASA has been testing the Stirling Engine under various conditions in which it will be used when inducted into the suitcase sized nuclear power unit.

NASA plans a demonstration of a unit of 12 kWe (kilowatts of electrical energy) at some point in 2012 & plans to exercise the full power of their 40 kilowatts unit in space in around 2015.

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