The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate has given space technology and infrastructure services company Intuitive Machines a USD8.2 million contract extension to develop next-generation nuclear power systems for spacecraft and lunar infrastructure.
Intuitive Machines said it is using the funding – which builds on USD9.5 million awarded under a previous Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) programme – to accelerate readiness of compact nuclear power conversion technology that overcomes solar power limitations and enables lengthier missions on the Moon and in deep space.
The previous effort included the design of a Stirling-based power conversion system, which transforms heat from a radioisotope source into electricity, culminating in a successful preliminary design review. “With this new funding, the Company will begin preparing the system for flight, marking a critical step toward demonstrating space-based nuclear power in orbit,” it said.
Solar is the most widely used energy source for today’s space missions, but harsh environments such as the two-week-long lunar night, where temperatures fall below minus 129 degrees Celsius (-200 degrees Fahrenheit) mean supplemental power systems like radioisotope thermoelectric generators or battery banks are needed – and these add bulk, weight and complexity to the mission. Systems like Stirling engines can offer continuous power and heat in a much smaller package to support spacecraft and planetary surface missions. Intuitive Machines – which has already developed and landed two solar-powered landers on the lunar service – says it is meeting that demand by building reliable, scalable energy systems that may power spacecraft and planetary surface missions beyond solar powered limitations.
“This award moves us from design to flight hardware, which is a critical step toward proving that compact nuclear power systems can survive and perform in space,” Tim Crain, co-founder and chief growth officer for Intuitive Machines, said.
The Stirling Technology Space Research Experiment flight experiment is designed to demonstrate Stirling power conversion technology in space in the International Space Station National Laboratory, where it will be exposed to the conditions that cause conventional power systems to degrade more quickly, limiting their operational lifespan and cutting missions short. By flying the technology on the ISS, Intuitive Machines said it intends to raise the nuclear power technology system’s readiness level from prototype to space-flown, which is a critical step toward commercial, civil, and national security space flight-ready acceptance.
Intuitive Machines is a sister company to advanced small modular nuclear reactors and fuel technology developer X-energy, which is also developing nuclear thermal propulsion technologies and nuclear solutions for lunar surface power.
The Space Vehicles Directorate is the US Air Force’s centre of excellence for space research, developing and transitioning technologies that provide space-based capabilities to the nation.