NASA's nuclear reactor could power crewed missions to Mars

• NASA has successfully demonstrated a new nuclear reactor power system that could enable long-duration crewed missions to the Moon, Mars and destinations beyond.
• The Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) experiment was conducted at US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)'s Nevada National Security Site from November 2017 through March.
• Kilopower is a small, lightweight fission power system capable of providing up to 10 kilowatts of electrical power - enough to run several average households - continuously for at least 10 years.
• Four Kilopower units would provide enough power to establish an outpost.
• The pioneering power system is ideal for the Moon, where power generation from sunlight is difficult because lunar nights are equivalent to 14 days on Earth.
• The prototype power system uses a solid, cast uranium-235 reactor core, about the size of a paper towel roll. Passive sodium heat pipes transfer reactor heat to high-efficiency Stirling engines, which convert the heat to electricity.