The biggest unique factor about NASA’s project is that this is the first time that a new nuclear reactor has been built and tested successfully for deep space exploration. It will come as great news for space agencies planning deep space missions.
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Kilopower paves the way for a new method of power generation in contrast to the old method of using RTG or radioisotope thermonuclear generators that require the decaying of plutonium -238. This provides only a limited supply of power of 1kilowatt. Gibson said that 1 KW is the lowest level where RTG stops bit with Kilopower you can even go up to megawatts of power, it is that powerful.
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The biggest benefit of Kilopower is that the power output is scalable unlike RTGs which cannot be turned off once started. It also has the biggest safety measure where nuclear issues are concerned. It does not to be started during or prior to launches and can be enabled once it reaches space. Said Gibson “If there was a 15-year mission to the Kuiper Belt, we don’t have to start the reactor up until we get there.
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The successful completion of the testing phase means that no further demonstrations of the machine will be required. What’s left is approval to test Kilopower in space which will then be another milestone for NASA. This could happen anytime in the next 18 months.
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The news is a huge boost for deep space exploration and a mammoth step for space technology. Not only is it efficient, it is also cheaper and provides much more power than solar power or older methods of power. Kilopower could also sustain life and longer stays on other planets in the future. That’s how important it is.
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