A scientific breakthrough at American technology behemoth Lockheed Martin Corp will allow the development of mini nuclear reactors that can “fit on the back of a truck.” A small team at Lockheed has been working on fusion energy at the company’s top secret Skunk Works division where the breakthrough occurred. Lockheed makes more stuff for the Pentagon than any other company. The company says it could complete a new mini nuclear reactor within a year.
Advances in the field have been relatively swift. The neutron was discovered in 1932. The first artificial nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, was constructed by Enrico Fermi’s team at the University of Chicago in 1942.
