{"id":60342,"date":"2025-12-02T21:48:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T16:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=60342"},"modified":"2025-12-03T16:07:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T10:37:08","slug":"nuclear-power-in-space-missions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/02-12-2025\/nuclear-power-in-space-missions","title":{"rendered":"Nuclear Power in Space Missions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Science and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The US recently announced plans under its <strong>Lunar Fission Surface Power Project<\/strong> to deploy a small nuclear reactor on the moon by the early 2030s.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Is Nuclear Power in Space Gaining Importance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Moon has little atmosphere and experiences<strong> 14-day stretches of darkness, <\/strong>this makes solar energy unreliable in some of the most critical regions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A small lunar reactor could operate <strong>continuously for a decade or more<\/strong>, powering habitats, rovers, 3D printers and life-support systems.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developing this capability is <strong>essential for missions to Mars,<\/strong> where solar power is even more constrained.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Evolution in Nuclear Power in Space<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs):<\/strong> It converts heat released by the slow decay of <strong>plutonium-238<\/strong> nuclei into electricity, and is immune to dust and darkness. They are used in spacecraft like <strong>Voyager, Cassini, and Curiosity.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, they produce only hundreds of watts, insufficient for human habitats or industry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compact Fission Reactors:<\/strong> They are capable of generating tens to hundreds of kilowatts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP): <\/strong>Heats hydrogen using a reactor and expels it to generate thrust.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The DRACO programme in the USA will test this technology in lunar orbit by 2026. It could shorten Mars travel times significantly, reducing astronauts\u2019 radiation exposure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In nuclear electric propulsion<\/strong>, reactor-generated electricity ionises a propellant, offering years of efficient thrust for deep-space probes and cargo missions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>International Legal Framework\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Outer Space Treaty (1967):\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Permissible: <\/strong>It permits peaceful purposes on the Moon and other celestial bodies and bans nuclear weapons\/WMD anywhere in space or on celestial bodies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article IX:<\/strong> States must act with due regard to interests of others, hence, no territorial claims can be made.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Liability Convention (1972):<\/strong> Launching State is absolutely liable for damage on Earth\/aircraft; fault-based liability for damage in space\/on the Moon. It also provides claims\/settlement machinery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Moon Agreement (1979) (few parties; not widely accepted):<\/strong> It adds environmental and rescue duties on the Moon; recognizes the Moon\u2019s resources as the \u201ccommon heritage\u201d. Applies only to its Parties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>1992 UN Principles:<\/strong> Non-binding resolution recognising the role of nuclear power in missions where solar is insufficient; lays down safety, transparency, and consultation guidelines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India is a signatory<\/strong> to the outer space treaty, but <strong>not to the Moon Agreement. <\/strong>India is also a signatory to the <strong>Artemis Accords (2023)<\/strong> in which parties commit to transparency, safety zones and data sharing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There is a <strong>lack of legally binding global rules<\/strong> for nuclear waste disposal on the Moon.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Outer Space Treaty<\/strong> forbids countries from placing weapons of mass destruction in earth orbit, it\u2019s <strong>silent on nuclear propulsion<\/strong> for peaceful purposes.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Liability Convention<\/strong> isn\u2019t clear about accidents involving nuclear reactors in cis-lunar space or beyond.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Risk of radioactive contamination<\/strong> if accidents occur during launch or lunar operations, could disrupt pristine environments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As space becomes a theatre of strategic competition, <strong>Compact reactors have dual-use potential,<\/strong> raising militarisation concerns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Safety zones <\/strong>around reactors might be interpreted as <strong>territorial claims<\/strong>, violating the <strong>non-appropriation principle<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The UN\u2019s 1992 Principles<\/strong> should be updated to explicitly include propulsion reactors, establish safety benchmarks, and define end-of-life disposal standards.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space<\/strong> needs to adopt binding environmental protocols to govern safe launches, preventing contamination, and disposing of nuclear systems.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A multilateral oversight mechanism<\/strong> modelled on the International Atomic Energy Agency could certify designs, verify compliance, and enhance transparency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/lunar-fission-nuclear-power-in-space-india-opportunities\/article70342916.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The US recently announced plans under its Lunar Fission Surface Power Project to deploy a small nuclear reactor on the moon by the early 2030s.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Why Is Nuclear Power in Space Gaining Importance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Moon has little atmosphere and experiences 14-day stretches of darkness, this makes solar energy unreliable in some of the most critical regions.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">A small lunar reactor could operate continuously for a decade or more, powering habitats, rovers, 3D printers and life-support systems.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Developing this capability is essential for missions to Mars, where solar power is even more constrained.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/02-12-2025\/nuclear-power-in-space-missions\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60342"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60350,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60342\/revisions\/60350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}