As you may have heard, there are plans currently underway for NASA astronauts to return to the moon and to build a lunar outpost. NASA says that, for this to become a reality, the astronauts will need a consistent energy source to power their construction and operations.

Their current plan is to build a nuclear reactor, buried under the soil for shielding. Engineers believe that this would be an ideal source for power and that the moon is a perfect place to create this plant. Unlike an Earth reactor, a nuclear plant on the moon wouldn’t require the same cooling system.

Do we really want to do this? On the surface it seems like a sensible enough idea but I can’t help but think back to a certain 1970s TV show. Nuclear waste on the moon didn’t work out so well for the 311 residents of Moonbase Alpha, did it?

By the way, though the Space:1999 series didn’t officially end with any sort of closure, a final message from Moonbase Alpha was filmed many years later. You can read about it here. Stay tuned!