Reply to post: Nuclear power on the moon

Fly me to the M(O2)n: Euro scientists extract oxygen from 'lunar dust' by cooking it with molten salt electrolysis

vtcodger Silver badge

Nuclear power on the moon

"Maybe a better option would be to use partially spent nuclear fuel, the energy density is still good enough to make it a viable source of energy."

Nuclear power seems a reasonable solution for power on the moon. But, there's one thing. Nuclear power plants here on Earth are really heat engines that run off the thermal energy difference between a working fluid heated in the reactor and some cooling entity -- typically a lake, river, or ocean. On the moon, you'd need a probably need a large radiating array to provide the cool side. And half the time you'd need to shade the array from direct sunlight. That's all probably doable. But likely kind of complex.

Maybe solar power and a BIG battery would be simpler.

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