China's space program is now working on a powerful nuclear reactor, which is believed to be more efficient than NASA's. The Chinese government explained that this new technology would be used in the upcoming Mars missions of the country.
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When it comes to efficiency, China said that it is 100 times more efficient than the device that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration would launch this coming 2030 on Earth's natural satellite.
On the other hand, China's new nuclear reactor could generate more than 1 megawatt of electric power. This new space tech is just one of the countries efforts to enhance its space activities.
As of the moment, China is one of the leading countries regarding out-of-this-world activities. Recently, we reported that China is now 20 years ahead of the United States in terms of Mars exploration.
China Space Program's Nuclear Reactor
According to South China Morning Post's latest report, the new nuclear reactor technology is a part of the project launched with funding from China's central government.
This space innovation was already being worked on by the Chinese space program way back in 2019. As of the moment, the exact launch date and technical details of the new powerful reactor are not yet disclosed by the Asian country.
But, two involved scientists confirmed that the prototype machine's engineering design is already finished. On the other hand, some essential components were also built to enhance the new nuclear reactor.
"Nuclear power is the most hopeful solution. Other nations have launched some ambitious plans. China cannot afford the cost of losing this race," said one of the anonymous Chinese space experts involved in the project.
Will the New Nuclear Reactor Have Issues?
China explained that since the new nuclear space tech is quite ambitious, the project might still have some challenges as it nears its launch date.
As of the moment, the Asian country was only able to launch one nuclear device into space, which is a small radioactive battery on Yutu 2.
With this in hand, it is clear that China is further advancing in the ongoing space race. National Defense even reported that it is now catching up with the U.S.
In other news, space experts said that Mars terraforming could soon be possible.
For more news updates about China's new nuclear reactor and its upcoming space tech advancements, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
