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Rolls-Royce to develop 'Moon nuclear reactors' with UK funding

Nuclear power has the potential to dramatically increase the duration of future lunar missions and their scientific value, the company said

Rolls-Royce to develop 'Moon nuclear reactors' with UK funding

British aerospace giant Rolls-Royce said that it had secured UK funding to develop small nuclear reactors that could provide power on the Moon.

Rolls said the UK Space Agency had offered it £2.9 million ($3.5m) to help research "how nuclear power could be used to support a future Moon base for astronauts".


"Scientists and engineers at Rolls-Royce are working on the micro-reactor programme to develop technology that will provide power needed for humans to live and work on the Moon," the aerospace company added in a statement.

Rolls forecast its first car-sized reactor would be ready to be sent to the Moon by 2029.

Friday's news comes as US space agency NASA aims to return humans to the Moon in 2025.

It would be the first visit since the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972.

"Nuclear power has the potential to dramatically increase the duration of future lunar missions and their scientific value," Rolls said.

The group, best known for its engines powering Airbus and Boeing aircraft, will work alongside UK universities including Oxford on the space project.

(AFP)

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Rachel Reeves

Under the policy, property owners will face a recurring annual charge additional to existing council tax liability.

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Rachel Reeves announces annual tax on homes worth over £2 million

Highlights

  • New annual surcharge on homes worth over £2 m comes into force in April 2028, rising with inflation.
  • Tax starts at £2,500 for properties valued £2m-£2.5m, reaching £7,500 for homes worth £5m or more.
  • London and South East disproportionately affected, with 82 per cent of recent £2m-plus sales in these regions.
Britain has announced a new annual tax on homes worth more than £2 million, expected to raise £400 million by 2029-30, according to estimates from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves pointed that the measure would address "a long-standing source of wealth inequality in our country" by targeting "less than the top 1 per cent of properties". The surcharge will come into force in April 2028.

Under the policy, property owners will face a recurring annual charge additional to existing council tax liability. The rate starts at £2,500 for homes valued between £2 m and £2.5 m, rising to £3,500 for properties worth £2.5 m to £3.5 m, £5,000 for £3.5 m to £5 m, and £7,500 for those valued at £5 m or more.

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