Key Design Trades for a Near-term Lunar Fission Surface Power System
Conference
·
OSTI ID:3024389
- NASA Glenn Research Center
- Idaho National Laboratory
NASA and DOE have been developing concepts for lunar and Mars Fission Surface Power (FSP) systems for decades and have considered many different technologies and system variations. In 2023, three contractor teams completed Phase 1 conceptual design studies on a 40 kWe lunar FSP system in response to a modest set of NASA requirements and goals. A government team consisting of NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was formed to develop an independent design approach that adhered to the same requirements and goals posed to the contractor teams. GRC provided expertise, analysis, and design decisions for the power conversion, heat rejection, power management & distribution (PMAD), and mission integration. LANL and INL provided expertise, analysis, and design decisions for the reactor and shielding. The goal of the government study was to develop representative concepts that could be used in NASA architecture studies, guide government technology investments, and inform Phase 2 requirements definition. This paper provides a summary of the key technology options, system-level trades, and mission-level concept-of-operations.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517;
- OSTI ID:
- 3024389
- Report Number(s):
- INL/CON-25-82845
- Resource Type:
- Conference proceedings
- Conference Information:
- Nuclear Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS), Huntsville, Alabama, 05/04/2025 - 05/08/2025
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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