Well , we have n’t had one of these in a while . NASA is going to bemaking an announcementon Wednesday , May 2 about a pretty awe-inspiring new technology – and you could watch it live .
At 9.15am EDT ( 2.15pm BST ) at their Glenn Research Center in Cleveland , they ’re move to be revealing detail about a new nuclear nuclear reactor force organization for space calledKilopower .
Specifically , they have fetch up testing the Modern scheme as part of a $ 15 m project , IFLScience understands , and will be share the results . We do n’t yet bang what the outcome of the test have been .
audio recording and slides from the event are going to be streamed live on NASA ’s websiteright here . you’re able to also get involve during the event by tweeting questions to # AskNASA .
“ Kilopower could provide safe , effective and plentiful zip for next robotic and human space geographic expedition missions to the Moon , Mars , and finish beyond , ” NASAsaid . “ The experiment was conducted November 2017 through March 2018 at the Nevada National Security Site ( NNSS ) . ”
Kilopower is a raw nuclear fission power informant that ’s been billed as a way to enable human exploration of other humans . Its key introduction is that it uses heat generate by the atomic nuclear fission of uranium to power a Sterling engine .
For the last few months , the squad has been testing a prototype name KRUSTY ( Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology ) . They have been unravel it at temperatures of up to 800 ° coulomb ( 1,470 ° F ) , bring out enough heat to generate a kilowatt of power – hence , Kilopower .
These tests were project to check out the prototype , and see if it might be useful . This is the first time NASA has tested a fission nuclear reactor specify for use in distance since the sixties . And if successful , it could open up upquite a few doors .
One of these nuclear reactor , for example , could be used to send probes on cryptical space mission to the outer planets and even beyond . Several of them in tandem could also be used to power a succeeding Mars colony .
So what will we find out tomorrow ? Well , we ’ll have to await and see . But based on the fact there ’s a whole news conference plan , we ’d think it ’s credibly secure tidings . digit cross .
