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As posted by Tom Hanson
The premise is that Nuclear is not only Safe (when handled properly) but it is Essential (a) and (b) a person can live comfortably away from Earth with it as the energy supply for a habitat. However, the set of topics I am proposing are ** NOT ** limited to heat, light and electricity, which you can already supply. I'm inviting you (and your guest authors) to build up a topic that shows that food, water suitable for drinking, and all other supplies can be made on site using nuclear power. This is not done on Earth at the moment, so it will be a stretch to work out how to do it in Space.
However, my argument is now (and has been for a number of years) that all human needs can be supplied for a space traveler if sufficient energy is brought to bear on the problem.
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The idea behind this topic is simple, but has enormous implications. Human beings have basic needs: food, fresh water, oxygen at the right pressure; and a suitable temperature range. If the energy inputs for these functions can be provided adequately by a nuclear fission or fusion power source, then human civilisation can be freed not just from the confines of the Earth, but the sun as well. Human colonies can be built throughout the solar system on icy moons or even within icy Kuiper belt or Oort cloud objects. Ultimately, human life can spread to the stars by slow migration, eventually colonising rogue planets as well as throughout the Milky Way, as well as Oort clouds of the 100 billion or so stars within our galaxy.
Last edited by Calliban (2021-05-14 15:08:07)
"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."
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For Calliban ... the premise of your primary topic (as I understand it) is the benefits of a hybrid approach, using fusion to create fission fuel, which itself generates the energy needed to drive the fusion process ...
The article at the link below is about work in the UK sponsored/supported by Jeff Bezos (among the funders).
What ** I ** am struggling with is the explanation of what this company is attempting ...; by any chance, do you have an idea ???
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nuclear-ener … 33804.html
The company uses an approach called magnetised target fusion.
In this process, a super-heated gas called a plasma, consisting of a particular form of hydrogen, is injected into a cylinder which is surrounded by a wall of liquid metal.
Hundreds of pneumatic pistons are then used to compress the plasma until the atoms fuse, generating massive amounts of heat.
This heat is transferred by the liquid metal, and used to boil water and make steam to drive a turbine.
The mental pictures I'm trying to create based upon the words quoted above make no sense.
Is there a better place for this other than your topic? Or can this report (somehow) support (or contribute to) your topic?
(th)
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US-China Tech Race: Shock and Awe
https://www.ft.com/content/f6898cba-0b4 … 461767c6a0
UK plans new nuclear reactors to boost energy independence
https://cumbriacrack.com/2022/04/07/uk- … ependence/
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This promising topic has been sitting idle since 2022.... This post is about a category of fission reactors that are at the very bottom end of the range. The article at the link below is about "microreactors". I presume readers of NewMars posts are already familiar with the term. The article attempts to explain the concept, and reports on at least one company actively pursuing this class of reactor.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/for … 00606.html
The Cool Down
Former SpaceX engineers develop small nuclear reactors that could revolutionize energy industry: 'A major milestone'
Jon Turi
Tue, November 18, 2025 at 11:45 PM EST
3 min readFormer SpaceX engineers develop small nuclear reactors that could revolutionize energy industry: 'A major milestone'
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Radiant Nuclear is looking to change the energy landscape with its small modular reactors that aim to generate around 1.2 megawatts of electricity, with safety and efficiency at the forefront of its design.
Radiant founder and CEO Doug Bernauer and CTO Bob Urberger are both SpaceX alumni, and the company roster is filled with talented individuals from across the energy and aerospace sectors, according to Autoevolution.
The reactor is called the Radiant Kaleidos and is designed to replace pollution-heavy diesel generators, helping power small commercial and military areas, even those off the grid.
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are defined as small enough to fit in confined spaces like garages, warehouses, and small industrial installations, and capable of generating up to 500 megawatts of usable electricity, according to the report.
The Kaleidos qualifies as a microreactor, a subset of SMRs, and one of its most unique qualities is that it uses pressurized helium gas rather than water to drive turbines and cool the core. It's essentially a downsized version of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR).
Radiant explained that helium gas does not become radioactive, which makes these reactors safer in the event of a leak, unlike water-based systems. Its use also means less drain on local water supplies and frees up more potential installation locations since it doesn't require that resource to function.
Nuclear fission occurs when the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing large amounts of heat and radiation.
One potential danger is that if reactor cores overheat, they can cause their fuel rods to melt down. Notable examples include Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi, which have made safety a key concern for the public.
While there are always risks involved in nuclear fission, one expert said it's "one of the safest forms of energy that's out there" when you look at the numbers.
At the core of the Kaleidos' design are nuclear fuel rods with specially formulated Tri-structural Isotropic (TRISO) fuel, the report detailed, which are uranium isotopes enclosed in multiple layers of ceramic material that effectively eliminate the possibility of a meltdown.
The system also includes an air jacket that cools the core passively through natural convection, which Radiant says simplifies regulatory approval.
In addition to the estimated 1.2 megawatts of electricity, Radiant explained that its Kaleidos reactor can provide 1.9 megawatts of thermal power for facility heating or water desalination.
These microreactors can provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy, making them a perfect complement to renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
Clean electricity and heat can be adjusted to meet demand during the day, while the Kaleidos will continue operating at night, enhancing the existing renewable infrastructure.
Late last year, Radiant completed its front-end engineering and experiment design (FEEED) phase for testing its microreactor at the Idaho National Laboratory. The Kaleidos is one of the designs that's on track for potential trials at the lab's DOME microreactor test bed as early as mid-2026.
"Completing the FEEED phase is a major milestone leading to Radiant's fueled reactor test at INL's DOME facility," said Radiant COO Tori Shivanandan.
"Radiant was added to the lab's qualified supplier list, completed numerous design reviews, and submitted our Conceptual Safety Design Report, all while staying on time and under budget."
(th)
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