Trump orders DoD to investigate use of nuclear power for space systems

WASHINGTON – In the difficult days of his administration, President Donald Trump has signed an order of action aimed at pushing the defense sector toward development and development. the introduction of small nuclear reactors for military use – and to see if they could be used with armored space vehicles.

The order, signed Jan. 5 and posted publicly on Jan. 12, is not the first time the value of nuclear power for military operations has been investigated. The Pentagon has a long history of considering the issue, which supporters believe could alleviate the region’s major logistics challenge in keeping fuel moving across the the world.

It is not necessary to replace all local powers with a nuclear reactor for the region’s purposes, but one or more small, base-based reactors would ensure that if the local power grid goes down, it will still be possible for vital tasks to work. According to an October 2018 technical report by the Nuclear Power Institute, “90 per cent of arms installations have an average annual energy consumption that can be met with an installed capacity of nuclear power” of 40 MWe or less.

With regard to ground efforts, the EO calls on the secretary of defense, within 180 days, to “establish and implement a plan for the” demonstration of a micro-reactor at a domestic military base “- in other words, establishing a real nuclear reactor test at a U.S. military base.

However, that does not mean that the first test will be a military base. One place to keep an eye on is Nevada’s National Security Site, a Department of Energy location about 65 miles from Las Vegas.

If that demonstration is successful, the department has been ordered to look at other opportunities to use small nuclear reactors at facilities. The order also calls for a deep dive into security features, such as cybersecurity and EMP hardening, which may be less relevant in commercial design.

Hans Kristensen of the Confederation of American Scientists said, “This last-minute signing of the Trump administration shows that someone is worried. [president-elect Joe Biden] they may not support the program. “

Specifically on location, the order calls on the secretary of defense, in consultation with NASA’s secretaries of state, commerce, energy and administrator, to “determine whether advanced nuclear reactors can be made to take advantage. to the Department of Defence’s space energy needs ”and to” pilot a portable micro-reactor prototype. “

In addition, the order directs the analysis of alternatives for “manpower, regulatory and technical requirements to inform future decisions regarding the use of nuclear power” as well as “ the study of U.S. military practices for space nuclear power and motion technologies and the analysis of space power programs and the movement of foreign enemies. ”

Brian Weeden, director of program design at the Secure World Foundation, says language is trying to precede an order of action that called on NASA to look into a nuclear movement for non-weapons. While the idea of ​​nuclear maneuvering in space may be troubling to some, “we can’t do human missions far to the Moon, Mars or robotic missions outside of Mars without it,” he said.

While the order accelerates the schedule for testing of a nuclear reactor at an arms plant, the idea of ​​deploying new nuclear power to the region is scarce. In fact, the Pentagon currently has two different development areas for small nuclear reactors.

The first is “Project Pele,” an attempt to create a small portable nuclear reactor in the 1-5 megawatt (MWe) power range, which is run out of the Office of Strategic Capability (SCO). In March 2020, the department provided $ 39.7 million to three companies to begin design work for Pele, with plans to select one company in 2022 to build and unveil a prototype.

The second attempt is being run through the office of the under-secretary of construction and maintenance. That effort, mandated in the National Defense Authorization Act 2019, includes a pilot program aimed at demonstrating the efficiency of a small nuclear reactor, in the range of 2-10 MWe, with an initial test at the Department of Energy site around the timeframe 2023. If all goes well, the goal is to have a small permanent nuclear reactor on an arms base by the time 2027.

Even if these timelines are hit, it is unlikely that microreactors could multiply rapidly across the military.

According to the NEI study, the smaller size and simplicity of microreactors means that the supply and manufacturing cycle could take “between 3 and 5 years from long lead order to bulk delivery, with a stated target of 4 years . Most parts must arrive on site at least 6 months before they start to support the achievement of construction milestones. ”