Rolls-Royce has received a funding boost from the UK Space Agency to develop nuclear-powered projects for the space sector.
Some £1.2m is being offered up to Rolls-Royce Submarines and the US-based nuclear supplier BWX Technologies as part of a project to use fission nuclear systems for space missions.
It comes as part of a wider £13m funding package unveiled by the government to support 11 international space projects, ranging from capturing high-res photos of the Moon and Mars to X-ray images of the Earth’s Aurora.
Other beneficiaries include Vertical Future, which is developing a “robotic space arm” facility to grow plants in space, and the University of Leicester, which is identifying potential space missions for nuclear powered technologies.
The funding is the second phase of investment awarded through the UK Space Agency’s £20m International Bilateral fund and will be rolled-out to private companies from countries including the US, Australia, Canada, India and Singapore.
Andrew Griffith MP, Minister for Space, said: “The UK is home to some of the brightest minds in space science, aerospace engineering and an entrepreneurial commercial space sector. It’s no wonder the world wants to collaborate with Britain when it comes to space.
Dr Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “We want to draw on the best global talent to push the boundaries of new technology such as AI and space nuclear power, enhance our homegrown space capabilities and catalyse investment into the UK economy.”
The UK and US government’s have been collaborating to develop new space technology under the Atlantic Declaration commitment.
Space nuclear propulsion technology draws energy from fission instead of traditional chemical reactions, providing practically unlimited energy and potentially paving the way for crewed missions to Mars and deep space science, according to NASA.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Joe Biden pledged last summer to study further opportunities “for co-operation on space nuclear power and propulsion.”
Steve Carlier, president for Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd, said: “The teaming agreement between Rolls-Royce and BWXT brings together over 130 years of safe and secure nuclear delivery on both sides of the Atlantic.
“This new agreement builds on our complimentary core competencies and market knowledge from our respective countries. This enables us to build upon our existing relationship and explore potential strategic relationships and business arrangements to further develop nuclear technologies and products for space.”