XPost: sci.space.policy, sci.physics   
      
   In sci.physics Vaughn Simon  wrote:   
   > On 10/13/2016 10:57 PM, jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com wrote:   
   >> I was talking about 50 MW of electrical power, not heat power.   
   >   
   > A small nuclear power plant of that capacity is orders of magnitude   
   > beyond the current state of the art.  Building a small nuclear reactor   
   > with megawatts of capacity is doable with today's technology, but making   
   > a highly reliable heat engine to convert that heat into mechanical   
   > energy, and doing it in a suitably low mass and tiny package, is an   
   > entirely different matter.  (NOTE: A nuclear reactor only makes heat.   
   > The only practical way we currently have to convert megawatts of heat   
   > into megawatts of electricity is with mechanical heat engines.)   
      
   The smallest nuclear power plant in the US generates 479 MW, so a 50 MW   
   reactor would be tiny by comparison.   
      
   Nuclear power plants generate electricity by boiling water and running   
   the steam to steam engines.   
      
   Yes, we could not send even a 50 MW plant to Mars as one assembled   
   piece.   
      
   >> So the present state of the art is sufficient to support a research   
   >> station on Mars but nowhere capable of supporting a colony and industry.   
   >   
   > Agreed.   
   >   
   > Vaughn   
   >   
      
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