a typical value of k for an operating fission power plant is 1.
what is a typical value of k for an operating fission power plant?
1
in 2008, nasa announced plans to utilize a small fission power system on the surface of the moon and mars, and began testing "key" technologies for it to come to fruition.





























proposed fission power system spacecraft and exploration systems have included sp-100, jimo nuclear electric propulsion, and fission surface power.





























a number of micro nuclear reactor types have been developed or are in development for space applications:





























bullet::::- jan leen kloostermans' u-battery





























bullet::::- rapid-l





























bullet::::- closed cycle magnetohydrodynamic (ccmhd) power generation system





























bullet::::- sp-100





























bullet::::- alkali metal thermoelectric converter (amtec)





























bullet::::- kilopower
nuclear power in space
in a reactor that has been operating for some time, the radioactive fission products will have built up to steady state concentrations such that their rate of decay is equal to their rate of formation, so that their fractional total contribution to reactor heat (via beta decay) is the same as these radioisotopic fractional contributions to the energy of fission. under these conditions, the 6.5% of fission which appears as delayed ionizing radiation (delayed gammas and betas from radioactive fission products) contributes to the steady-state reactor heat production under power. it is this output fraction which remains when the reactor is suddenly shut down (undergoes scram). for this reason, the reactor decay heat output begins at 6.5% of the full reactor steady state fission power, once the reactor is shut down. however, within hours, due to decay of these isotopes, the decay power output is far less. see decay heat for detail.
nuclear fission