The technology of nuclear reactors using fission, as well as traditional power plants, may eventually play a major role in space flights. For many years, rejected as dangerous and costly, технологии девятнадцатого века могут вернуться. 
Where to get energy for rocket power, Space transportation probe, research station on a distant celestial body? This is just one of the many, but very important question, which is placed before the team is planning space missions. Energy should be a lot, it must be obtained in a convenient and cheap way to desirable. These are simple to carry out on Earth in space requirements is a serious problem. Scientists are trying to overcome them differently, and one of the solutions is the use of nuclear reactors, согласен с этим и основатель космической компании Firefly Aerospace украинец Макс Поляков https://delo.ua/business/chastnyj-kosmos-vne-ssha-kak-ukrainec-maks-poljakov-razvivaet-in-345909/. This technology, which dates back to 1816 year, It is the basis of a project called Kilopower.
Space nuclear reactors – reactivation
Space nuclear reactors, more powerful, than those used on Earth, For several years, it is the subject of many scientists. Unfortunately, pretty soon it became clear, it's expensive technology, Yes, and our knowledge of it too small. The first and last full test with the US space nuclear reactor conducted in 1965.
WITH 1970 to 2010 years, little has changed, in addition to knowledge of the operation of nuclear reactors, which allowed in 2012 produce and launch a modified first reactor space capacity of 24 AT. It was a success – it turned, we can do something like this for a reasonable, from a financial point of view, money.
project Kilopower, which was launched in 2015 year, It is, чтобы в конечном итоге использовать ядерные реакторы для работы космического транспортного и научно-исследовательских станций.
project Kilopower
Under this name hides a relatively small and, the assurances, cheap in device manufacturing, are capable of providing power from about 1 (hence the name) to 10 kilowatt. It all depends on the cooling system efficiency.
It is estimated, that a simple Martian settlement with 4-6 people will have a need for power energy 40 kw. Достигнуть ее можно благодаря использованию нескольких реакторов Kilopower.
As the reactor operates such? This small nuclear reactor fuel fissile, from which heat is released through the heat pipes system (de facto invented 55 years ago in Los Alamos) to a modified Stirling engine.
Simply put, heat, which comes to the engine, It heats the working environment in accordance with the principle of operation of the engine, which then, also on the principle of the Stirling engine, cool in refrigerated coolers, open on Mars (the moon or in space). Двигатель будет частью генератора электроэнергии.
The use of fissile material, which in this case would be highly enriched uranium 235, обеспечит реакторы высокой эффективностью в течение многих лет. Вся структура будет иметь относительно небольшой размер по отношению к энергоэффективности, but still, it will not be easy. However, perform transport reactors will be easier, than to transport the vast solar system.
efficient cooling – is the key to success
Experiments with a prototype reactor is already underway in Nevada within KRUSTY experiment (reactor using the Stirling engine), which the, in turn, основан на предыдущем опыте команды Los Alamos. Они показывают, что охлаждение ядерного реактора с помощью тепловых трубок возможно. Именно этот этап работы, development of efficient cooling, I took a particularly long time.
Kilopower – where it will be used
Mars – is the goal, which most excites the emotions of scientists, because the problem, that will be encountered first Mars mission, It can not be solved without an effective energy source. But Kilopower reactors can also be used on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, as well as on spacecraft, because they need not only an efficient drive, но и энергия для питания бортовых модулей. Особенно это касается пилотируемых транспортных средств.
The planned mission in which space nuclear reactors will be used:
- Titan Saturn Mission (Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) ).
- Миссия к поясу Койпера.
- Mission to Chiron.
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