Rolls-Royce awarded £2.9m to develop modular nuclear reactor for lunar base

The UK Space Agency has awarded several billion pounds to Rolls-Royce, which is developing a nuclear reactor for a lunar base. This is the second contract for the British company.

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Rolls-Royce previously received around a quarter of a million pounds for research, and now the Space Agency has allocated £2.9 million to build a demonstrator. It will help experts assess the feasibility of sending a nuclear reactor to the moon.

The UK Space Agency is working with local companies and organisations to create more jobs and boost investment in the country. The UK space services sector is already worth £16 billion.

The agency plans to send a nuclear reactor to the moon in 2029. Rolls-Royce will work with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, the Nuclear AMRC and the Universities of Oxford, Bangor and Brighton to build it. The modular nuclear reactor will provide the energy source for spacecraft and bases.

Source: GOV.UK