British aerospace giant Rolls-Royce said Friday it has secured UK funding to develop small nuclear reactors that could power the moon.
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The company said the British Space Agency has offered $3.5 million to help research how nuclear power could be used to support a future lunar astronaut base.
“Scientists and engineers are working on a program of microreactors to develop technology that will provide the energy needed for life and work on the Moon,” the aerospace company said in a statement.
Rolls-Royce predicts that its first car-sized reactor will be ready to go to the moon by 2029.
Friday’s news came as the US space agency NASA intends to land humans on the moon in 2025.
“Nuclear power has the potential to significantly increase the duration of future lunar missions and their scientific value,” the company said.
The group, best known for its engines for Airbus and Boeing aircraft, will work on the space project with British universities, including Oxford.
