Rolls Royce: Man's Ambition For Moon Dwelling Intensifies

Years ago before the Neil Armstrong-led crew of Apollo 11 landed on the Moon (precisely on July 20, 1969, 20:17), not a few doubting Thomases would have avoided betting it was wishful thinking. But then the moment came and it happened.

Between then and now, several initiatives and postulations have been on relocating some humans to the Moon planet and the moon-based infrastructures that will make these things happen. 

If you are one of those rare humans ambitious about dwelling on the Moon, rejoice and pour yourself some coffee as Rolls Royce joins NASA in innovations that will make moon dwelling a reality soon.

It is now confirmed that Rolls Royce is developing a nuclear reactor for future bases on the Moon.

Britain’s industrial giant recently announced that it has received £2.9m (€3.3m) funding from the UK Space Agency to develop small nuclear reactors for future bases on the Moon.

“Rolls Royce scientists and engineers are working on the microreactor program to develop a technology which will provide the energy necessary for them to live and for people to work on the Moon”, said the large British company in a statement. 

The British group predicts that the first reactor, which will have approx the size of a car, will be ready to be sent to the Moon by 2029.

Another Program for a Return to the Moon

About 50 years after the last mission of the Apollo program, the return of humans to the Moon becomes concrete: NASA announced in early March that the Artemis 2 space mission will bring astronauts around the Earth satellite in November 2024.

The Artemis 3 mission, as part of which astronauts will land on the lunar surface, is officially scheduled for 2025.

NASA and the Axiom Space company presented yesterday, Wednesday, in Houston, Texas, the new space suit that these astronauts will wear.

“Nuclear power has the potential to significantly increase the duration of future missions to the Moon, as well as their scientific value,” assured Rolls-Royce, which will work with British universities, including Oxford.