How to Colonize an Asteroid
Nuclear power plants work by splitting atoms in a nuclear reactor to produce heat. This heat is used to turn water into steam, and then turn turbines to produce electricity. Nuclear power plants required a lot of heavy shielding and produce some very dangerous waste products. Because of these facts, we are not currently considering their use on the asteroid colony. Solar power is so much cleaner, and we will be close enough to the sun to be able to provide large amounts of power without the hassle (not to mention the launch expense!) of concrete shielding and the danger of handling radioactive waste products.