Design
| Enviro |
Astro | Propulsion
| Power | Thermal
| Structures | AD&C
| CDHS |
Test
The
Voyager spacecraft have relied on RTGs
for over 20 years in remote parts of our solar system,
where energy from the Sun is too weak for solar
power.
Radioisotope
Thermoelectric Generators
RTGs
convert heat into electricity. The heat is generated
by the decay of radioactive isotopes, uranium or
plutonium. Thermocouples are thin metal strips wrapped
around the isotope container that produce an electrical
current when exposed to heat.
Safety
is paramount in RTG design. Unfortunately, the public
is not educated on this fact, which results in political
resistance to missions that rely on this power source.
