NPR

NASA Tests New Nuclear Reactor For Future Space Travelers

The reactor could keep the lights on during long-duration missions far from Earth.
An artist's rendering shows the reactor's core is about the size of a paper-towel roll and could provide a decade's worth of electricity to future missions.

NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy say they have successfully tested a new type of nuclear reactor that could one day provide juice to colonies on other worlds. The reactor can power several homes and

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
Luis Rubiales Faces Sexual Assault Trial For Unsolicited Kiss At World Cup
The case against the ex-Spanish soccer federation head who kissed player Jenni Hermoso without consent is going to trial, a judge ruled. Three others will be tried for allegedly pressuring Hermoso.
NPR3 min read
Tornadoes Tear Through The Southeastern U.S. As Storms Leave 3 Dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after deadly storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail.
NPR5 min readCrime & Violence
Migrant Crime Is Politically Charged, But The Reality Is More Complicated
Republicans have raised the alarm about a migrant crime wave. Nationally, crime is down even as immigration has surged, but the concerns are real in some neighborhoods.

Related Books & Audiobooks