Specialists from the Keldysh Research Center (part of Roscosmos) announced plans to create digital twins and models for designing a nuclear-powered lunar base. As Vladimir Koshlakov, the center's general director, told TASS, specialists have no room for error when placing a nuclear power plant on the Moon – the installation must be guaranteed to work from the first start-up.
The risk can only be eliminated in one way: before the reactor goes into space, it will be thoroughly "burned in" in a virtual environment. The digital model will allow simulating all normal and abnormal situations on Earth, checking the reliability of every detail and every control algorithm. According to Koshlakov, work on creating digital twins is already planned jointly with the Kurchatov Institute and the Lavochkin Research and Production Association.
Approximately, three launches will be required in 2033-2035 to place a nuclear power plant on the Moon, Vasily Marfin, General Director of NPO Lavochkin, reported earlier.
