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- Moon power (3/21/23)
Moon power (3/21/23)
Good morning, and a word from Payloadâs senior policy reporter:
Iâm back! Itâs Jacqueline, saying hello to the Payload family after four months of maternity leave. Iâm so grateful to have been off with my little dude, but itâs time to trade rattles for rockets. If you have space scoops (or tips on how to be a working mom!), drop me a note.
In today's edition...âď¸ UKSA x Rolls-Royceđ Innospace launchđ People on the move
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UKSA Funds Rolls-Royceâs Lunar Nuclear Reactor

Image: Rolls Royce
The UK Space Agency has awarded Rolls-Royce ÂŁ2.9M ($3.5M) to continue the development of a lunar nuclear reactor. Under the contract, UKSA and Rolls-Royce are aiming to get a demo model on the Moonâs surface by 2029. The agency previously funded a ÂŁ249,000 (~$305,000) study last year.
The micro-reactor program
A bet on nuclear energy is seen as a way to wean future crews and robotic systems off of solar energy.
Rolls-Royceâs micro-reactor program is investigating how nuclear power could one day serve as a long-term energy source for a permanent moon base.
The engine manufacturer is working with Oxford, Bangor, Sheffield, and Brighton universities to help field a demonstration model by 2029.
The research zeroes in on three key areas:
Generating heat/the fuel used to generate heat
The method transferring that heat
Technology that can convert the heat into usable energy (AKA electricity)
Ensuring the micro-reactor will be ready to operate in an unforgiving lunar environment is also a focus area.
What are micro-reactors? Modular micro-reactors are 100-1,000x smaller than conventional reactors. The relatively small and lightweight systems can likely generate enough energy to power communications, life support, and experiments on the lunar surface despite location, available sunlight, and other environmental factors.
Rolls-Royceâs nuclear efforts
The world's second largest aircraft engine manufacturer is no stranger to nuclear energy.
Apart from space-focused nuclear research, Rolls-Royce is also building up to 16 small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide low-cost clean energy in the UK.
It previously sold two of its nuclear businesses in 2019 and 2021, and has provided nuclear submarines for the UK Ministry of Defence through a subsidiary.
Other nuclear moon projects
Last summer, NASA and the DOE funded three projects to develop a fission surface power system by 2030 with the ultimate goal of supporting the Artemis program. In addition, NASA and DARPA will spend hundreds of millions to test a nuclear fission-powered thermal propulsion system on a spacecraft before the decade is out.
Innoflight Lifts Off from Brazil

South Korea is angling to join the elite club of major spacefaring nations. Now, the second rocket developed domestically in the country has achieved liftoff.
Innospace, a Korean launch startup developing a suite of small-lift rockets, successfully got its Hanbit-TLV suborbital test rocket off the ground on Sunday. The flight lifted off from the Alcântara spaceport in Brazil at 1:52pm ET.
Innospaceâs strategy: Innospace CEO Kim Soo-jong founded the company in 2017 and has since raised 55.2B won ($42M) in funding to develop the companyâs small-lift rocket technology domestically in South Korea.
The Hanbit-TLV rocket, standing at 16.3 m tall, is a suborbital test rocket and precursor to the Hanbit-Nano, which is designed to carry payloads up to 50 kg to orbit. It comes equipped with a 15-ton hybrid engine that uses liquid oxygen and paraffin-based propellants. On this mission, Hanbit-TLV carried a 20 kg inertial navigation system called SISNAV for the Brazilian Air Force.
Launching from Brazil: The Brazilian space agency has issued a call to foreign nations that the Alcântara spaceport, operated by the Brazilian Air Force, is open for business. Innospace is the first foreign commercial company to take it up on its offer.
Test resultsâŚThe Hanbit-TLV rocket successfully made it off the ground and is en route to its suborbital trajectory. The hybrid engine maintained a steady thrust for 106 secondsâ12 less than the companyâs target of 118âand flew for four minutes and 33 seconds before falling into the sea off the coast of Brazil.
âThe success of HANBIT-TLV shows Innospace is capable of launching a space rocket and paves the way for us to tap into the global launch service market," Kim Soo-jong said in a statement.
+ Want more? Check out our Q+A with Carlos Moura, president of Brazilâs space agency, for more about the countryâs initiative to invite more foreign launchers to Alcântara.
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In Other News
NASA retired its AIM probe, which studied Earthâs mesosphere for the past 15 years, due to ongoing battery issues.
China has nearly finished building its new astronomical satellite, Einstein Probe, and plans to launch the 1,400-kg bird by the end of the year.
Boeing delivered the first of three ultra-high capacity Ka-band ViaSat-3 satellites.
E-Space secured landing rights to provide future comms services and IoT connectivity in Nigeria.
The White House released its updated priorities for national aeronautics.
On the Move
Florida Today promoted Emre Kelly, a veteran space reporter, to space editor.
Sidus ($SIDU) tapped Richard Kube as its new chief production officer. Kube has 40+ years of industry experience, including posts at Cape Design Engineering, Craig Technologies, and United Space Alliance.
Sierra named Tim Keating as its new chief strategy officer and VP of global government operations. Keating previously served as Boeingâs longtime chief lobbyist.
Space Florida CEO Frank DiBello will retire in June. The aerospace development agency will kick off a national search for a new chief executive in the coming months.
Overair, an eVTOL developer, hired Tom Whayne as its CFO. Whayne formerly served in the same post at OneWeb.
Hadrian welcomed former Flexport exec Ben Braverman as its new chief business officer.
Warpspace promoted Hiromitsu Azuma from COO to CEO.
The View from Down Under
NASAâs collaboration with Australia is growing by leaps and bounds. ASA Head Enrico Palermo presented us with stuffed kangaroo astronauts as a symbol of our two nationsâ cooperation in space during our first day Down Under!
â Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson)
3:46 PM ⢠Mar 20, 2023
Australian officials gave NASA Admin Bill Nelson a stuffed astronaut kangaroo during his trip Down Undah.
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