TY - GEN
T1 - Current status and future of space nuclear power
AU - Lal, Bhavya
AU - Buenconsejo, Reina
AU - Behrens, Jonathan
AU - Howieson, Susannah
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 American Nuclear Society. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Deep space missions require thermal and electric power to support both in-space and surface functions. To support these functions, most deep-space or planetary science missions have used a combination of solar power, fuel cells, and radioisotope power systems (RPS). Future missions may involve more complex or long-term activities such as mining or in situ resource utilization on the moon, or a human journey to the moon or Mars, and will require larger and more reliable sources of power than currently exist. In this paper, we present findings related to the status of and challenges facing the U.S. space nuclear power enterprise, as well as observations on how to ensure the availability of adequate nuclear power capabilities for emerging missions in the next 10-25 years.
AB - Deep space missions require thermal and electric power to support both in-space and surface functions. To support these functions, most deep-space or planetary science missions have used a combination of solar power, fuel cells, and radioisotope power systems (RPS). Future missions may involve more complex or long-term activities such as mining or in situ resource utilization on the moon, or a human journey to the moon or Mars, and will require larger and more reliable sources of power than currently exist. In this paper, we present findings related to the status of and challenges facing the U.S. space nuclear power enterprise, as well as observations on how to ensure the availability of adequate nuclear power capabilities for emerging missions in the next 10-25 years.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051970770&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85051970770
SN - 9781510859609
T3 - Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018
SP - 279
EP - 283
BT - Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018
PB - American Nuclear Society
T2 - Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018
Y2 - 26 February 2018 through 1 March 2018
ER -