Nuclear Batteries: Tools for Space Science
The Apollo missions to the moon are famous for heroic astronauts, exciting first steps and incredible pictures that fired the imaginations of a whole generation of scientists, engineers and school children. Mixed in along with the hoopla about sending men into space on huge, fire spewing rockets, however, was some serious science. Each time the [...]
In the News: September 1996
Russian Nukes Short of Cash (Aug 25, 1996) – Like many parts of the Russian economy, the nuclear power industry is burdened with major customers that often do not pay their bills. According to a Reuter’s news story Rosenergoatom (the nuclear plant operating company) is close to making a decision to shut down some of [...]
Earth Bound RTG Systems: Uses Closer to Home
RTG Heat Sources: Two Proven Materials
Sources for Atomic Energy Insights September 1996 (RTGs)
Bennett, G. L. et al “Status Report on Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators using Silicon Germanium Thermoelectric Elements”, paper presented at the 29th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Monterey CA, 1994. AIAA-94-4127-CP Kelly, E C. and Klee, P. “Cassini RTGs – Small Scale Module Tests”, paper presented at the 29th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Monterey CA, [...]
Cassini: Near Term Use of RTGs
The only planned use of RTGs in the US space program in the near term is the unmanned, 1997 Cassini mission to explore Saturn. The Cassini spacecraft will be powered by three General Purpose Heat Source Radioisotope Thermal Generators (GPHS RTGs) each designed to provide 276 W of electrical power at the beginning of the [...]