Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: The Hindu
Context: Launched on April 3, 1965, SNAP-10A was the world’s first operational nuclear reactor in space. While it still remains in orbit, it was operational for just 43 days.
About nuclear reactors:
A class of devices that contain and control sustained nuclear chain reactions, these systems are at the heart of any nuclear power plant.
Nuclear Reactor in Earth orbit:
- The U.S.’ first and only known space nuclear reactor, the SNAP-10A was the result of the government-sponsored System for Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) programme, also known as SNAPSHOT for Space Nuclear Auxiliary Power Shot.
- The SNAP reactors had liquid sodium-potassium alloy as the coolant. A thermoelectric enriched uranium fuel with zirconium hydride as a moderator converter was used to directly convert heat from the reactor into electricity.
- Russia has sent quite a few of them, including one that crashed and scattered radioactive debris over Canada in 1978.
