UK Space Agency backing for nuclear space reactors
Rolls-Royce today announced it has secured funding from Phase 2 of the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund (IBF).
The funding enables strategic research partnerships within the UK space sector and emerging space nations to work together.
The new £1.18 million award from the Fund backs collaboration to identify and advance the optimum technologies for a fission nuclear system, benefitting both UK and U.S. space nuclear development programmes for a range of space power missions.
“Rolls-Royce is collaborating with U.S. firm BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC (BWXT) to deliver this phase of development, which has been cemented in a Teaming Agreement between the two companies. The agreement facilitates business collaboration and joint developments of new and novel nuclear applications in the space domain, which utilise the core nuclear design and manufacturing strengths of each party. This agreement further strengthens UK and U.S. collaboration on first-of-a-kind space technology innovation, as detailed under the Atlantic Declaration commitment.”
Steve Carlier, President for Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd, said:
“We are delighted to win the award for the second phase of the International Bilateral Fund and to be continuing our collaboration with the UK Space Agency and our international project partner BWXT. The Teaming Agreement between Rolls-Royce and BWXT brings together over 130 years of safe and secure nuclear delivery on both sides of the Atlantic.
This new agreement builds on our complimentary core competencies and market knowledge from our respective countries. This enables us to build upon our existing relationship and explore potential strategic relationships and business arrangements to further develop nuclear technologies and products for Space.”
“BWXT and Rolls-Royce share a commitment to creating and delivering nuclear energy systems to explore space, support global security imperatives and generate clean energy. Today’s announcement, and our teaming agreement more broadly, allows our companies to use our complementary areas of expertise for this award and new opportunities to come.”
