All posts tagged: nuclearpowered

India launches world’s first nuclear-powered hydrogen production facility using Cu-Cl technology

Published by skeptic

India has marked a significant milestone in clean energy innovation with the launch of the world’s first nuclear-powered hydrogen production facility based on the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle. The demonstration plant, located at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam, integrates nuclear process heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) to generate hydrogen without relying on fossil fuels. The facility was inaugurated by Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, alongside IGCAR Director Shri Sreekumar G. Pillai. Developed through a collaboration between the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and IGCAR, the project represents a major advance in India’s clean energy and nuclear research programmes. By successfully coupling nuclear reactor heat with hydrogen generation, the initiative demonstrates the potential for large-scale, low-carbon hydrogen production. The achievement positions India at the forefront of advanced hydrogen technologies while showcasing a new pathway for producing clean hydrogen using next-generation nuclear reactors. Demonstrating a new approach to nuclear-powered hydrogen production The newly commissioned plant …

Here’s how Russia’s nuclear-powered ‘Skyfall’ missile works : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Sometime on Oct. 21 of last year, high above the Arctic Circle, a lone missile shot skyward from a Russian island. The missile flew northeast and then banked and began flying in loops for hours over the barren, frozen landscape. According to Russian and Western sources, the new weapon, known in Russian as Burevestnik and by NATO as Skyfall, was powered by a small nuclear reactor. Few other details were forthcoming. Now, two MIT researchers have published an analysis that sheds fresh light on how the nuclear-powered missile actually worked. If they are correct, the October flight test marks the first time a nuclear-powered aircraft has ever flown. It would also suggest the opening of an extraordinarily dangerous new chapter in the 21st century’s simmering arms race. “This is something that is possible, but wildly expensive and very dangerous,” said Jake Hecla, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a dual appointment in both aerospace and nuclear science and engineering, who led the new analysis along with co-author R. Scott Kemp. Their modeling …

China Unveils Nuclear-Powered Floating Hub For Green Shipping

Published by Jenni Sidey

China has proposed a large offshore logistics platform powered by nuclear energy that would function as both a cargo transfer hub and a refuelling/charging centre for ships, according to the South China Morning Post. The concept, unveiled by Jiangnan Shipyard, combines port infrastructure, energy generation, and cargo handling into a single floating facility aimed at reducing emissions in maritime transport. The project was presented at the Posidonia International Shipping Exhibition in Greece. The SCMP writes that the platform would rely on a molten salt reactor as its primary energy source, supplemented by renewable technologies including solar and wind power. It would also feature systems for hydrogen production, synthetic green fuels, and electricity distribution. According to the company, the facility could generate clean power and fuels such as ammonia for both terminal operations and electric support vessels. Jiangnan argues that molten salt reactor technology offers significant safety benefits because it is resistant to conventional meltdown scenarios and the coolant solidifies quickly if released, limiting the potential impact of leaks. Designed to support international shipping lanes, coastal …

The Download: making drugs in orbit and NASA’s nuclear-powered spacecraft

Published by skeptic

1 Sam Altman claims Elon Musk tried to seize control of OpenAIAltman said Musk initially wanted 90% of the equity. (AFP)+ And that control should go to his children when he dies. (BBC)+ Altman also accused Musk of twice trying to end its non-profit status. (NPR)+ Musk’s motivations for the suit are under scrutiny. (MIT Technology Review) 2 Google and SpaceX are in talks to launch data centers into orbitSpaceX could join Suncatcher, Google’s orbital data center project. (WSJ $)+ The project’s first launch is slated for early 2027. (Guardian)+ Anthropic and SpaceX have also discussed orbital data centers. (Wired $)+ But there are a few hurdles to overcome. (MIT Technology Review) 3 Jensen Huang has joined Donald Trump’s high-stakes mission to ChinaNvidia is lobbying to sell its AI chips in the country. (Bloomberg $)+ Elon Musk and Tim Cook are also on the trip. (CNBC)+ But a tech rivalry and distrust have sapped hopes for big deals. (Reuters $) 4 ICE agents have a list of 20 million people on their iPhones, thanks to …

NASA’s first nuclear-powered spacecraft is heading to Mars, and its bringing helicopters

Published by Jenni Sidey

For years, nuclear propulsion sat in the same category as so many ambitious space ideas, impressive on paper, always a few steps away from reality. Now NASA says that changes in 2028. The agency plans to launch Space Reactor-1 Freedom, or SR-1 Freedom, before the end of that year on a mission to Mars called Skyfall. NASA describes it as the first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft. The mission will carry three small helicopters meant to explore a possible human landing site on the Martian surface. Yet the most important payload may be the machine pushing the spacecraft there. At the center of the mission is a fission reactor tied to a propulsion system called nuclear electric propulsion, or NEP. Instead of relying on sunlight, the reactor generates heat, that heat becomes electricity, and the electricity powers highly efficient electric thrusters. In practical terms, that gives a spacecraft a steady way to move through deep space without depending on large solar arrays. Space Reactor-1 Freedom key systems at a glance (notional concept). (CREDIT: NASA) That matters because …

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