Beginning in the late 1950s, the U.S. met this challenge by developing nuclear batteries known as radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) and producing plutonium-238 (Pu-238) as their fuel, ...

But for missions farther from the sun, where the sunlight is fainter, nuclear power in the form of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) can also be used to drive the electric propulsion.

Thermoelectric devices—including the radioisotope thermoelectric generators that produce energy for NASA's space exploration vehicles—can convert differences in temperature to electricity.

Combustion engines only use a quarter of the fuel’s potential energy while the rest is lost as heat through exhaust. Now, a ...

NASA has an update on its seminal deep-space exploration project of 2023—that of developing a nuclear power source. Following promising results in the Phase 1 of the project, the researchers are ...

Furthermore, TEG serve as autonomous and mobile power sources. They are used as Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) for space exploration, Auxiliary Power Units (APU) for military ...

and radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). This partnership is another step toward supporting sustainable and reliable power solutions for some of the most challenging environments in space.