Space scientists truly seem to be pushing the envelope when it comes to research and amid all the progress scientists have developed an energy source that can potentially allow astronauts to live on the Moon for a considerable amount of time.
NASA's Artemis programme is hoping for an outpost on the Moon in next 7 years, a report with the BBC said.
Wales' Bangor University seems to have made significant progress in this direction by designing nuclear fuel cells that will produce energy to sustain life forms on the celestial body. The fuel cells are the size of poppy seeds, the report read.
The report quoted Professor Simon Middleburgh from the Nuclear Futures Institute of the university who said the work was a challenge but a "fun one". The Moon, often seen as a gateway to the red planet Mars can be used as a springboard to reach planets further, Middleburgh told the news agency.
The Bangor team in its research often partners with Rolls Royce, the UK Space Agency, Nasa and the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US. Middleburgh told BBC that the team hoped to fully test the nuclear fuel during the next few months and have currently sent a tiny nuclear fuel cell, known as a Trisofuel to their partners for testing.
This Trisofuel cell could be used to power a Rolls Royce-designed micro nuclear generator.
The generator is a portable device, the size of a small car and "something you can stick on a rocket," Middleburgh was quoted as saying.
Cruising through a tricky descent of about 19 minutes, the Vikram lander module of Chandrayaan-3 last month touched down on the moon, making India the first country to reach the largely unexplored south polar region, setting up a series of experiments spanning 14 earth days, through payloads on the lander, rover and propulsion module.
Published 10 September 2023, 18:09 IST