British multinational aerospace and defence giant Rolls-Royce has been awarded a contract to develop an Advanced Closed Brayton Cycle converter for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, USA.
Over the 12-month contract period, Rolls-Royce will provide a preliminary design of a closed-cycle Brayton power conversion system for next-generation space-based nuclear microreactors.
Rolls-Royce is also working with the U.K. Space Agency to develop concept designs for space reactor systems.
John Shade, Rolls-Royce executive vice president of business development and future programs, said:
“Being selected for NASA’s Power Conversion Development Contract is a testament to Rolls-Royce LibertyWorks’ leadership in pioneering advancements for the future of microreactor power conversion in the United States. This investment is a pivotal step towards enabling robust operations in space, paving the way for a new era in space exploration with reliable, clean, and efficient power sources. In collaboration with our teammates on this program, we are not just envisioning the future – we are engineering it.”
Rolls-Royce is an industry leader in pioneering cutting-edge technologies to deliver clean, safe, and competitive solutions for nuclear power systems.
Rolls-Royce is delivering critical system solutions as part of the industry team supporting the U.S. Department of Defense nuclear microreactor program, Project PELE. The program will deliver an inherently safe nuclear reactor system, capable of providing transportable, reliable and resilient power.
