Breakthrough Nuclear Power for NASA Space Missions
Technology tamfitronics Using low-bandgap III-V materials such as InAsSb in nanostructured arrays to limit potential loss mechanisms, a 25x improvement in mass specific power and ten thousands times decrease in volume from a MMRTG is an early estimate, with higher performance possible depending on operating conditions. TRC technology will allow a proliferation of small versatile spacecraft with power requirements not met by photovoltaic arrays or bulky, inefficient MMRTG systems. This will directly enable small-sat missions to the outer planets as well as operations in permanent shadow such as polar lunar craters. They will build on the Phase I study which already showed the system works and generates power over 4 times better than traditional nuclear RTG power. They showed 8 W of electrical power is possible from the 62.5 W Pu-238 pellet from a general...
