--- title: "This Nuclear Reactor Could Be Shipped to Mars by 2022" description: "NASA's mobile Kilopower mobile fission nuclear power generator could be sent off to Mars by 2022, according to team members." date: "2019-08-12" modified: "2019-08-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nuclear-reactor-shipped-mars-2022" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Space" tags: - "Fission Energy" - "kilopower" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # This Nuclear Reactor Could Be Shipped to Mars by 2022 ![NASA's mobile Kilopower mobile fission nuclear power generator could be sent off to Mars by 2022, according to team members.]() *\Image: NASA/Victor Tangermann\* ## Space Power Members from the Kilopower project — a NASA and Department of Energy co-initiative working to develop fission power systems for future space exploration — [says that]() one of its reactor could be ready to be shipped to Mars or another distant location by 2022. "I think we could do this in three years and be ready for flight," project lead Patrick McClure said late last month, as [quoted by *Space.com*](), during a presentation. NASA, however, has yet to officially announce any timeline for the project. ## Moon Shot A mobile nuclear power system could keep the lights on for astronauts travelling to the Moon or Mars. Kilopower's [prototype]() is about the size of a fridge and fits into a rocket. It could provide a base with around 40 kilowatts of power — roughly enough electricity for eight houses on Earth. It wouldn't be the first time nuclear energy was harnessed in space. Many of NASA's spacecraft have used nuclear energy for propulsion and operation, including [Curiosity](), NASA's Mars rover that launched in 2011. ## Project Kilopower Kilopower has [successfully carried out]() ground tests in [2017]() and 2018, but has yet to try any experimental fission reactor in space. But previous tests have had positive results. During the 2018 test, the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology generator converted fission heat into electricity at 30 percent efficiency, according to *Space.com*. That's a lot more than the conventional seven percent of previous spacecraft power generators. **READ MORE:** [Nuclear Reactor for Mars Outpost Could Be Ready to Fly by 2022]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on the project:** *[We Now Have A Working Nuclear Reactor for Other Planets — But No Plan For Its Waste]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()