Moon may get nuclear energy soon

Washington, January 10 (ANI): Reports indicate that NASA engineers are working on an ultra-compact nuclear power plant for the Moon that should generate enough electricity to run a house, or a lunar exploration base.

According to a report in Discovery News, the reactor is about the size of a big wastebasket.

When the Apollo astronauts were on the moon, they only stayed a few days at a time, and batteries or fuel cells did them just fine.

But now, NASA is talking about astronauts staying for weeks or months, and batteries won't help their cause at all.

They're going to need a long-term source of power for their exploration and scientific activities.

Space experts are proposing all sorts of power sources, from solar panels to king-sized fuel cells.

One of most popular ideas is a small nuclear reactor.

The whole thing would fit into an 18-wheel trailer with room to spare and would weigh about the same as an armored humvee. (ANI)