• @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      19
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      Good question. Not all reactors by design need water as coolant. Some use molten salt, others are gas cooled.

      These alternate cooling materials would likely still need to be imported though, so it doesn’t particularly make it any easier.

      My main question is the effect of the lower gravity on cooling the reactor (thermal hydraulic effects). All of our current reactors are designed for 1 g use, not 0.1654 g that’s on the moon. Heat mixture rates in fluids would be different, which is important when you’re calculating effective heat dissipation.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      38 months ago

      Maybe only turn it on at night when the surface gets cold and conduct it into the ground or land it in a permanent shadow? The article said they planned to do it fully automated so I am guessing digging of any form is out.