China challenges NASA with nuclear technology to make quick trips to Mars and the moon

Caracas.- New nuclear fission technology developed by Chinese researchers could power “future high-energy, long-duration space missions and deep space exploration missions,” as well as “provide significant round-trip mass transportation capacity” to the moon already. Supporting the creation of large space infrastructures, such as many space stations,” according to a study recently published in the journal Scientia Sinica Technologica.

The prototype of the new space reactor, with a capacity of 1.55 megawatts, is cooled by lithium, has a useful life of about 10 years and, according to its creators, has already passed several preliminary tests on Earth. Technological solutions provided by Chinese scientists and engineers, especially the use of liquid lithium, made it possible to significantly reduce the size of the reactor, although it is seven times more powerful than the competing system built by NASA.

A nuclear-powered spacecraft could reach Mars and return to Earth in just three months, experts were quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post. In contrast, a one-way trip to Mars with a fossil-fueled spacecraft would take at least seven months. This is the case for the superheavy spacecraft Starship, designed and operated by the American company SpaceX.

The Chinese design also allows the reactor to operate in the harsh conditions of open space for long periods. However, one of the biggest challenges developers now face is ensuring a safe launch into space and avoiding a possible nuclear explosion if it falls to Earth.

It has previously been reported that Russia and China are studying a project to build a nuclear power plant on the moon.

With information from Actualidad RT.