Former NASA official discusses the need for nuclear power in space

On its website, SpaceNews notes the podcast “centers on the immense energy density of nuclear power compared to conventional methods, which makes it especially valuable for long-duration space missions, such as to Mars or beyond.”

Essential for science and habitats: The further we explore from our sun, Lal, said, the weaker solar power becomes. She argued that nuclear power should be viewed as essential for space missions, especially if we want to explore the further reaches of the solar system. “I mean, beyond Mars, we really don’t have a whole lot of solar power. . . . we have kind of, you know, stretched our technology to get new solar power till Saturn . . . But beyond that, there is no way to do a whole lot of science without nuclear.”

Start small: Lal pointed out that there has been a lack of demand for nuclear power in U.S. space projects, which has hindered the development of nuclear space technology. “I think nuclear power in space, up until recently, has been viewed as a nice-to-have rather than a must-have, right? And I think it is lack of demand that inhibits investment. And then, of course, once you don’t have investment, there’s no technology development, and then we enter this chicken and egg problem.”

To reverse course and begin developing nuclear power systems for space exploration, Lal said the best approach is to start small. “We start with a small system, maybe in Earth orbit, then we go beyond. And ultimately, we should be looking at hundreds of kilowatts and megawatts of [nuclear] power in space, because that is the kind of energy we are going to need to do anything substantial.”

Commercial nuclear: The podcast also touches on the National Security Presidential Memorandum-20 (NSPM-20) on the Launch of Spacecraft Containing Space Nuclear Systems, which was released in August 2019. “For the first time,” Lal said, “it opened the door for commercial nuclear launches. So, nuclear no longer needs to be a government-owned and -operated activity.”

Lal’s May 1 episode, “Why Space Needs Nuclear Now,” is available to listen or watch on the SpaceNews website and YouTube channel.