Westinghouse wants to convert its terrestrial modular nuclear technology for use in space.
Westinghouse Electric Company and Astrobotic have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore development of space nuclear technologies.
Westinghouse Electric, a nuclear power company, and lunar rover startup Astrobotic want to offer jointly developed nuclear technologies to NASA and U.S. Defense Department programs, Westinghouse said on June 1.
“Westinghouse is excited to partner with Astrobotic on delivering the next wave of innovative nuclear technology that is vital to advancing space exploration and supporting national defense missions,” says David Durham, Westinghouse president for Energy Systems.
Westinghouse Electric of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, is best known for designing and building conventional nuclear power plants on Earth. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and was acquired by private equity firm Brookfield Business Partners in 2018.
The nuclear power company is developing the eVinci Microreactor, a modular and factory-built nuclear power plant for terrestrial use. By building the reactors in a factory and then transporting the units to their sites, Westinghouse says the type can be made cheaper and installed faster than conventional nuclear power plants. One or more modular reactors can make up a nuclear power plant delivering between several kilowatts to 5 megawatts of electricity, the company says.
Last year, NASA and the Department of Energy awarded Westinghouse a contract to design an initial concept for a 40-kW-class fission lunar surface power plant as part of the Artemis program. Westinghouse partnered with Aerojet Rocketdyne and Astrobotic for the effort.
“Westinghouse is developing a scaled-down version of the 5-[megawatt] eVinci microreactor to power spacecraft in orbit or for deployment on the surface of planetary bodies such as the Moon or Mars, providing continuous power for space research and other applications,” the company says. “The inherent simplicity of the eVinci technology supports these critical space missions by providing a reliable, resilient, low-mass power generation system that can be operated autonomously. The technology is ideal for electricity generation for the lunar surface, satellites and electric propulsion.”
For its part, Astrobotic is developing lunar landers and rovers, as well as its “LunaGrid,” a commercial power service designed to provide electricity at the Moon’s south pole.
