Rolls-Royce: nuclear reactor brings UK space mining closer

British manufacturer Rolls-Royce reveals it’s working on a new nuclear reactor to open up mining on the Moon and Mars, edging closer to mining in space

It may sound almost futuristic and akin to something straight out of a Sci-Fi movie, but the reality is mining in space might be closer than you think. Prestigious British automobile maker Rolls-Royce is taking the first small step for mining as it reveals to The Mail on Sunday that it’s developing a nuclear reactor that could open up mining on the Moon and even Mars. 

Earlier this year, the company teased its nuclear plans with the UK Space Agency, hinting at its ongoing nuclear power studies and research into the opportunities nuclear power holds for the future. Rolls-Royce’s Head of its defence division, Dave Gordon, told The Mail on Sunday how, in theory, a micro-nuclear reactor could enable rockets to be launched at high speeds in space and that this discovery then opens doors to the possibility of providing energy for drilling, processing, and storage for mining on the Moon and Mars.

Mining the Moon may be closer than we think

But what resources could the Moon and Mars possibly hold that would be of value down on Earth? Well, natural resources such as water can be mined before being converted into precious fuel for rockets, and elements and metals unique to the Moon hold the potential to be used to provide energy and develop new electrical commodities. 

Gordon also pays tribute to businessmen Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk for showing that space isn’t as far out of reach compared to what we first thought.

“If we were having this conversation a couple of years ago, you’d have looked at me in a bemused way,” Gordon said to the MoS. “But now, because of the work that companies like [Bezos’s] Blue Origin and [Musk’s] SpaceX are doing, it suddenly becomes not just credible, but actually there’s a demand there.

“We’re the only company that does mechanical, electrical and nuclear. We’re the only one that does a full end-to-end lifecycle of nuclear capability.”

Nuclear reactor opens doors for space mining

According to Gordon, there’s a drastic need for rare earth metals on Earth, and the Moon’s main resources - which include Helium-3, an element used in nuclear fusion - could prove valuable for future space explorations, with the Moon even being pipped as a refuelling station. 

“There’s a huge shortage of rare earth metals. We know they exist on other planets because they all formed from the same thing. This genuinely isn’t rocket science. So mining asteroids, the Moon and Mars will happen, hopefully, in my lifetime.”

Rolls-Royce is optimistic that it can introduce a demonstration of its vehicle by 2030, resulting in roughly 10,000 jobs being created across the supply chain within the UK.

Share

Featured Articles

Colliers MENA CEO Raja Alameddine on leadership and strategy

As the just appointed CEO of Colliers MENA, real estate veteran Raja Alameddine talks strategy, leadership style, and skills critical for today’s C-Suite

Top 10 outsourcing companies in the world

The Time Doctor OA500 index – compiled by Time Doctor and Outsource Accelerator – has ranked the biggest outsourcing providers in the world

Red Sea Global: Building sustainable tourism in Saudi Arabia

Luxury property developer Red Sea Global is transforming Saudi Arabia into an incredible, sustainable tourism destination. We speak to the CEO John Pagano

Leena Nair – from Unilever people pioneer to CEO of Chanel

Leadership & Strategy

Top 10 female CEOs of the Fortune Global 500

Leadership & Strategy

UAE cyber leaders told to go on the attack against hackers

Technology