Fission Reactors in Space and How They Will Enable Reliable and Long-Lived Scientific Research on Mars and Our Moon

Abstract

Nuclear technologies enabled deep exploration of our solar system. Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators provide missions with power needs below 1 kWe facilitating tremendous advancements to space exploration. An exciting future awaits the scaling of modular fission power systems to power planetary and lunar scientific research requiring power levels of 1-10 kWe. Fission power systems can be a robust source of power in parts of space where not enough solar irradiance would reach our solar array, or the environmental conditions are too harsh for solar panels.