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NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems Program StatusNASA's Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Program began formal implementation in December 2010. The RPS Program's goal is to make available RPS for the exploration of the solar system in environments where conventional solar or chemical power generation is impractical or impossible to meet mission needs. To meet this goal, the RPS Program manages investments in RPS system development and RPS technologies. The current keystone of the RPS Program is the development of the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG). This generator will be about four times more efficient than the more traditional thermoelectric generators, while providing a similar amount of power. This paper provides the status of the RPS Program and its related projects. Opportunities for RPS generator development and targeted research into RPS component performance enhancements, as well as constraints dealing with the supply of radioisotope fuel, are also discussed in the context of the next ten years of planetary science mission plans.

Document ID
20140017774
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Dudzinski, Leonard A.
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Hamley, John A.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
McCallum, Peter W.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Sutliff, Thomas J.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Zakrajsek, June F.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Date Acquired
December 30, 2014
Publication Date
July 15, 2013
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Nuclear Physics
Energy Production And Conversion
Report/Patent Number
GRC-E-DAA-TN10177
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC)
Location: San Jose, California
Country: United States
Start Date: July 14, 2013
End Date: July 17, 2013
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 138494.01.66.01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
Stirling engines
radioisotope batteries
project management
electric Power
power converters
nulear electric power generation
thermoelectric power generation
Stirling engines
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