Posted on 04/20/2018 6:49:05 PM PDT by Elderberry
Media are invited to attend a news conference at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland at 9:15 a.m. EDT Wednesday, May 2, to discuss a recent experiment to demonstrate a new nuclear reactor power system designed for space.
News conference audio and presentation slides will stream live on NASA’s website.
Kilopower could provide safe, efficient and plentiful energy for future robotic and human space exploration missions to the Moon, Mars and destinations beyond. The experiment was conducted November 2017 through March 2018 at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).
News conference participants include:
James Reuter, acting associate administrator of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate Janet Kavandi, Glenn center director Patrick Cahalane, principal deputy associate administrator for Safety, Infrastructure and Operations at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Marc Gibson, Kilopower lead engineer at Glenn Dave Poston, chief reactor designer at NNSA’s Los Alamos National Laboratory
Following the news conference, media will have the opportunity to tour the following facilities at Glenn:
Stirling Research Lab, where early Kilopower-related tests were conducted Electric Propulsion Lab, used to test high-power solar electric propulsion that will be used to develop the power and propulsion element of NASA’s lunar outpost Simulated Lunar Operations Lab, where NASA develops planetary rover tires and tools for in-situ resource utilization, a process for generating water, oxygen, and other products using space-based resources
Media interested in participating in the event, in person or by phone, must send their name, media affiliation and phone number to Jan Wittry at jan.m.wittry-1@nasa.gov no later than noon Tuesday, May 1.
Media and the public also can ask questions during the briefing on social media using #AskNASA.
Supporting images and video will be available online at:
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/kilopower
The Kilopower project is part of NASA’s Game Changing Development program and is led by Glenn, in partnership with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NNSS and Y-12 National Security Complex.
What’s NASA?
Are they some subsidiary of Space-X?
NASA, there’s a little league coach from Kenya on line 2.
Will it require an Extension Cord ?
“What’s NASA? Are they some subsidiary of Space-X?”
NASA is that organization that funnels billions of uncompleted taxpayer dollars to space-x
Yes, that’s true.
They do some other credible stuff, but man how frustrating it has been over the years.
Imagine us getting to the place where the shuttle was unable to fly any longer, and no replacement on the drawing board.
To be truthful, the private sector is the way to go, but is Space-X truly headed in that direction. I at least have some hope. There are other groups out there too, and in the end I’d like to think we’d wind up with a robust private sector handling space access.
I suspect Lockheed has something out there we don’t know about that can access space right now also. It’s the cargo end of it that is lagging > IMO.
I’m curious to know what kind of nuclear reactor they plan to use. What coolant would be used to control the thing? Water has been used here on earth with “some” success, but Mars doesn’t seem to have a lot of available water.
Explorers in a harsh, uninhabitable environment millions of miles from help with 4 or more nuclear reactors: What could go wrong?
NASA to Discuss Demonstration of New Space Exploration Power System>>>>>>
As long as Mr. Fusion will generate 1.21 gigawatts of power, lets bring the lightning! Then: “Roads, we don’t need roads?”
Since it is a Stirling engine, probably either hydrogen or helium. Since it is to be paired with a fission reactor, probably helium.
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/kilopower-media-event-charts-final-011618.pdf
Found this after posting about helium.
They use a heat pipe design to move heat from the reactor to a set of thermal radiators.
Sodium coolant in heat pipes.
NASA is that organization that funnels billions of uncompleted taxpayer dollars to space-x
...
How so? SpaceX has delivered tremendous savings to the taxpayer compared to older launchers like ULA and even cheap launchers like the Russians.
Oooooooooo a power system.
While that may have some cool factor with us nerds, it does nothing to stir the imaginations of the general public and those voting for funding.
NASA Has always relied on contractors to complete it’s mission.
Space X is a current contractor competing with the hoary old guys
About time. They have been as safe as humanly possible in submarines for decades. Yes, weight and other things might need other considerations for spacecraft but I have always thought those were issues to be overcome, not avoided.
ROADS FIRST ON MARS
Start building 10 lane highways on Mars right now BEFORE the high rise lobbyists, and the stadium lobbyists mess up the civil city planning.
To a large extent that is true.
The former contractors as I understand it, all pooled their equipment so NASA could launch their missions.
Space X is essentially launching their own, even when at the Florida space center.
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