Russia to Have Its Own Lunar Power Station by 2036
The implementation of a project to build a lunar power
station based on a nuclear power unit will commence in Russia next year as part
of the national project for technological leadership titled "Space."
The project is the responsibility of the State Corporations
"Roscosmos" and "Rosatom," as well as the National Research
Centre Kurchatov Institute. This was announced at the session-presentation
"Platform of the Future: 100 Projects of Russia. Technologies," which
took place on 16 December at the National Centre RUSSIA.
"To continue the exploration and development of the
Moon, it is necessary to take a qualitatively new step — to create a
permanently operating automatic scientific lunar station. This will allow us to
move from one-off missions to a long-term programme," stated Alexei
Matushansky, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation,
and one of the moderators of the "Space" section, outlining the
discussion topic.
According to him, achieving this goal requires the construction of extraplanetary nuclear power stations. As part of the new national project "Space," the State Corporation "Roscosmos," has set for itself the scientifically, technically, and technologically complex task of creating a lunar power station based on a nuclear power unit by 2036, he added.
"For the entire infrastructure to function fully, it is
necessary to create a lunar power station capable of supplying all energy
needs. The lunar power station will include a rover, whose task will be to
connect consumers to the charging and distribution system," explained
Denis Kutovoy, Deputy Director of the Department of Space Systems at the State
Corporation for Space Activities "Roscosmos."
According to him, under the national project, there is a
federal project "Space Science," which involves a series of
spacecraft launches for scientific purposes by 2036. Some of them are going to
be consumers of the energy that the future lunar power station must provide.
"This includes a research rover that will travel across
the area of the Moon which will be most interesting from the perspective of
creating a future lunar base. It will study the soil. Furthermore, the creation
of a lunar observatory is planned. All of this requires energy. But this is
only the first stage of humanity's future expansion into space. Currently, we
are talking about plans to create a foundation on the Earth's satellite, based
on which we will subsequently be able to formulate goals and tasks for human
exploration of deep space," concluded Denis Kutovoy.
The ambitious task of building a lunar power station is
entirely achievable. This opinion was expressed by Hero of Russia,
pilot-cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky. He added that for this, it is crucial to select
the right specialists and thoroughly prepare them for work in space. According
to him, in the past, only one cosmonaut might be chosen from a thousand
candidates because mistakes in space are unacceptable and every team member
must clearly understand their function.
"Every cosmonaut, during the backup stage or in
preparation for their flight, fully rehearses the entire cycle of activities
for repair, technical maintenance, and various experiments. All of this is
practiced on Earth. In space, radio messages arrive each time with instructions
and a list of all actions. I am far from being a scientific person and
sometimes may not understand all the nuances of a process happening during the
execution of an experiment. But I must perform it with precision down to the
dot, to the comma, exactly as requested by the experiment's principal
investigator or the specialist under whose guidance I am repairing a system
operating on the station," emphasised Oleg Novitsky.
He added that contemporary young professionals have
wide-open opportunities and very interesting tasks, in which they can fully
express themselves. One only needs to believe in oneself.
"The main thing is not to be afraid, not to doubt your
own abilities. Because the journey is mastered by the one who walks, and the
selection requirements are quite adequate. It is so for physical education,
psychological state, education, and knowledge of languages. All requirements
are quite achievable in any type of activity related to moving forward,"
concluded Hero of Russia Oleg Novitsky.
The series of thematic programmes "Platform of the
Future: 100 Projects of Russia" is dedicated to the national development
goals outlined in the Decree No. 309 issued by the President of the Russian
Federation. Before the end of the year, on 23 December, another thematic
meeting will be held, where Alexander Kozlov, Minister of Natural Resources and
Environment of the Russian Federation, will present the most important
initiatives covering environmental protection activities. Project presentations
at the National Centre RUSSIA are conducted by their leaders and beneficiaries,
as well as those who provide support in implementing the initiatives.
Opening the meeting, Yelizaveta Likhacheva outlined the sacred role of the fairy tale in human culture.
Today, Khanty-Mansiysk hosted the opening of the branch of the National Centre RUSSIA, timed to coincide with the region's 95th anniversary.
