The compact power plant is 10 kilowatts.
National space Agency NASA plans to test nuclear reactors for Mars mission in the fall of 2017.
The compact power plant is 10 kilowatts, and its height less than two meters.
It is expected that Martian station with eight astronauts will need four such reactor. Their power intended for the production of fuel, air and water, and also for charging the battery of Rovers and scientific equipment. Reactors run by the decay of uranium atoms to generate heat that can be converted into electricity.
“This is the first time since 1960-ies, when we are working on reactor decay particles, which can be used in space,” said engineer Lee Mason, the representative of the research center of NASA in Cleveland.
The project, carried out by NASA, together with two partners, has already invested more than 14 million U.S. dollars. Testing will begin in September and end in January 2018 at the test site in Nevada.
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