Several big names, including SpaceX boss Elon Musk, have spoken about sending humans to Mars and humans becoming a multiplanetary species. Yet the general consensus suggests that we humans can’t travel to Mars without first establishing a presence on Earth’s largest natural satellite, which would require landing humans on the moon for the first time since 1972. Jim Reuter, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, believes that the steps NASA is taking will eventually allow humans to live on other planets. He said the technologies being developed could advance human exploration of the moon, Mars and other places and help lay the foundation for a long-term human presence on other worlds.
But NASA is not planning to return to the moon alone. It will work with other countries’ space agencies and invite private companies to participate in various parts of the project. A recent example of the space agency working with private entities is in the design of a new lunar lander. Last year, five companies were selected to participate in the project, and their contributions received a combined $146 million. Now NASA has selected five more companies to help design a way to power deep space missions and its proposed lunar base.
NASA’s Artemis project will take space exploration to the next level
NASA’s Artemis program contains some great plans: It will land the first woman and first person of color on the moon by 2024. The Artemis crew will also be the first humans to set foot on the moon in 52 years. The project will also explore more of the lunar surface than ever before, according to the space agency. These plans, no matter how grand, are just the tip of the iceberg. One of Artemis’ main goals is to establish a permanent base on the moon. NASA said the base, along with a gateway in lunar orbit, will allow robots, astronauts and scientists to explore and conduct scientific research more than ever before.
The ultimate goal of this mission is to use what NASA — and the agencies it partners with — have learned on the moon to propel humans to Mars, as well as deep space exploration for humanity’s benefit. Permanent bases need power, however, and NASA has decided that nuclear fission is the best way to provide that energy. The fact that it will have bases in space and on the moon does present unique challenges. Weight is a major concern when launching anything into space, the moon itself may be difficult to resupply, and electricity may be required where sunlight cannot be relied upon. To help meet these challenges, companies are invited to pitch ideas to the space agency. Three companies have now been told they can move forward with their designs.
What are these concepts and who is building them?
NASA said it has awarded three 12-month, $5 million contracts to Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and IX. These companies do not work alone. Among them, Lockheed Martin is working with BWXT and Creare on projects, Westinghouse is working with Aerojet Rocketdyne, and IX (now a joint venture between Intuitive Machines and X-Energy) will be working with Maxar and Boeing.
While the exact design of each company’s powertrains hasn’t been revealed, some details are known for now. These proposals should be ready and demonstrated on the moon within a decade. The systems must be relatively lightweight, robust and capable of delivering at least 40 kilowatts of power, which NASA says is enough to power 30 homes for 10 years. Due to their nuclear nature, these concepts can provide electricity 24/7 without constraints. That means NASA will be able to power bases and missions with or without access to a natural power source like sunlight.
NASA said the primary goal of the first phase is to gather information that will lead to a full flight certification of the fission-powered system. The project could also take humans farther than the moon or even Mars. The space agency said fission surface dynamics could help it further develop the nuclear propulsion systems used by its spacecraft. NASA hopes nuclear propulsion will eventually help them with deep space exploration missions.