US Nuclear Eyes Moon Missions

Radiation detection manufacturer US Nuclear Corp. is getting behind the U.S. space program. The Canoga Park company, through its partners Magneto Inertial Fusion Technologies Inc. and MIFTEC Laboratories Inc., is promoting the use of a new type of fusion energy that can be used to power spacecraft to Mars and for colonies on that planet as well as the moon. US Nuclear owns a 10 percent stake in Magneto Inertial, in Tustin. MIFTEC Labs is a subsidiary of that company. Last year, Magneto Inertial achieved a major milestone at the University of Nevada, Reno National 1 million ampere, Terawatt Facility by generating more than 10 billion neutrons from each pulse of the company’s staged Z-Pinch fusion generator. Results were so compelling that Magneto Inertial quickly moved forward with the detailed design plans for its new 10 million ampere machine, projected to deliver 1,000 trillion neutrons per pulse, which may be enough to power hypervelocity space ships, and to provide all the power that is needed to build colonies on the moon and on Mars. Magneto Inertial is poised to build compact fusion generators that could be a reality in less than five years.  NASA and the new Space Force will need a clean, high-powered and safe energy source for spacecraft propulsion and to power space colonies. With no oxygen in space, fossil fuels are not useful. Nuclear fission is not safe and solar cells do not generate adequate power. That leaves fusion energy as the most desirable source of energy because it provides safe power and does not have the danger of meltdowns like fission reactors. NASA outlined its protection of astronaut’s basic infrastructure, including spaceships and moon and Mars base power plants in the “Artemis Accords – Principles for a Safe, Peaceful and Prosperous Future” released last month. The accords are a guideline “to create a safe and transparent environment which facilitates exploration, science and commercial activities for all of humanity to enjoy,” according to NASA. Artemis is the name of the program to return humans to the moon by 2024. In April 2019, after US Nuclear bought its stake in Magneto Inertial, the company received non-exclusive worldwide rights to make thermonuclear fusion power generators for the U.S. and foreign power grids to power cities, transportation, space vehicles, military vehicles and ships.