Russia plans to put a nuclear power plant on the moon in the next decade to supply its lunar space programme and a joint Russian-Chinese research station, as major powers rush to explore the earth's only natural satellite.
Well, you can’t put permanent infrastructure on the moon without a plan to power it. So, a power plant has to be the first step, that’s why NASA has the kilopower program, even though we don’t have a permanent moon base yet.
Well the sun works great for orbit around the moon, but on the surface a day/night cycle lasts a month. So that’s about 15 days of night at a time.
That’s why everyone continues to talk about the lunar poles, btw, because you have an eternal twilight there, where continuous solar power might still be doable.
Now I might be talking shit, but isn’t there a problem with dust on the moon that means solar panels wouldn’t work very well? Though I may be thinking of Mars. Or something else. Uranus?
Well, you can’t put permanent infrastructure on the moon without a plan to power it. So, a power plant has to be the first step, that’s why NASA has the kilopower program, even though we don’t have a permanent moon base yet.
The sun, right over there: “um, hello?”
Well the sun works great for orbit around the moon, but on the surface a day/night cycle lasts a month. So that’s about 15 days of night at a time.
Obviously there’s no wind on the moon and burning things makes no sense. So literally the only options left are nuclear or lots and lots of batteries.
That’s why everyone continues to talk about the lunar poles, btw, because you have an eternal twilight there, where continuous solar power might still be doable.
Now I might be talking shit, but isn’t there a problem with dust on the moon that means solar panels wouldn’t work very well? Though I may be thinking of Mars. Or something else. Uranus?
There is no wind in the vacuum of space.
Yeah it was Mars that I was thinking about, not the Moon.
Pro: nothing’s ever gonna kick dust on your panels except space debris or ourselves.
Con: nothing’s ever gonna wipe dust off our panels.