Rolls-Royce awarded grant by UK Space Agency to advance its space nuclear reactor project

UK-based global major propulsion and power (including nuclear power) systems group Rolls-Royce has announced that it has been awarded £4.8-million by the UK Space Agency, to further develop and demonstrate core technologies in its space nuclear micro-reactor. The grant was made under the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme. This is the third tranche of funding the company has received from the agency, to advance the space nuclear micro-reactor project. The first tranche, of £2.9-million, was awarded last year, under the UK Space Agency’s Lunar Surface Nuclear Power contract and Phase 1 of its International Bi-Lateral Fund (IBF). The second tranche, of £1.18-million, was given in April this year, under Phase 2 of the IBF. This means that the UK Space Agency has now invested a total of £8.88-million in the micro-reactor programme. Rolls-Royce reported that the complete programme would have a total project cost of £9.1-million.