Radioisotope Power Systems
Radioisotope Power Systems

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2009-08-14

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13: 0309138574

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Spacecraft require electrical energy. This energy must be available in the outer reaches of the solar system where sunlight is very faint. It must be available through lunar nights that last for 14 days, through long periods of dark and cold at the higher latitudes on Mars, and in high-radiation fields such as those around Jupiter. Radioisotope power systems (RPSs) are the only available power source that can operate unconstrained in these environments for the long periods of time needed to accomplish many missions, and plutonium-238 (238Pu) is the only practical isotope for fueling them. Plutonium-238 does not occur in nature. The committee does not believe that there is any additional 238Pu (or any operational 238Pu production facilities) available anywhere in the world.The total amount of 238Pu available for NASA is fixed, and essentially all of it is already dedicated to support several pending missions-the Mars Science Laboratory, Discovery 12, the Outer Planets Flagship 1 (OPF 1), and (perhaps) a small number of additional missions with a very small demand for 238Pu. If the status quo persists, the United States will not be able to provide RPSs for any subsequent missions.

The Design and Engineering of Curiosity
The Design and Engineering of Curiosity

Author: Emily Lakdawalla

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-03-27

Total Pages: 408

ISBN-13: 331968146X

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This book describes the most complex machine ever sent to another planet: Curiosity. It is a one-ton robot with two brains, seventeen cameras, six wheels, nuclear power, and a laser beam on its head. No one human understands how all of its systems and instruments work. This essential reference to the Curiosity mission explains the engineering behind every system on the rover, from its rocket-powered jetpack to its radioisotope thermoelectric generator to its fiendishly complex sample handling system. Its lavishly illustrated text explains how all the instruments work -- its cameras, spectrometers, sample-cooking oven, and weather station -- and describes the instruments' abilities and limitations. It tells you how the systems have functioned on Mars, and how scientists and engineers have worked around problems developed on a faraway planet: holey wheels and broken focus lasers. And it explains the grueling mission operations schedule that keeps the rover working day in and day out.

Radioisotope Power Systems
Radioisotope Power Systems

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2009-07-14

Total Pages: 69

ISBN-13: 0309141761

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Spacecraft require electrical energy. This energy must be available in the outer reaches of the solar system where sunlight is very faint. It must be available through lunar nights that last for 14 days, through long periods of dark and cold at the higher latitudes on Mars, and in high-radiation fields such as those around Jupiter. Radioisotope power systems (RPSs) are the only available power source that can operate unconstrained in these environments for the long periods of time needed to accomplish many missions, and plutonium-238 (238Pu) is the only practical isotope for fueling them. Plutonium-238 does not occur in nature. The committee does not believe that there is any additional 238Pu (or any operational 238Pu production facilities) available anywhere in the world.The total amount of 238Pu available for NASA is fixed, and essentially all of it is already dedicated to support several pending missions-the Mars Science Laboratory, Discovery 12, the Outer Planets Flagship 1 (OPF 1), and (perhaps) a small number of additional missions with a very small demand for 238Pu. If the status quo persists, the United States will not be able to provide RPSs for any subsequent missions.

Spacecraft Power Systems
Spacecraft Power Systems

Author: Mukund R. Patel

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2023-12-12

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 1003804217

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This second edition of Spacecraft Power Systems is a comprehensive coverage of the fundamentals, design trades, components, controls, and operations of spacecraft power systems based on the real-world design and operations of spacecraft that have successfully flown for decades. It also includes emerging high-voltage, high-power systems for in-space propulsion for interplanetary travel. With new and updated chapters, sections, and discussions, the second edition covers up-to-date high-voltage, MW-scale electric propulsion, updated PV and battery systems, spacecraft power components, power electronics, and their architectures and operations. This book also presents the latest in spacecraft design processes and trades, controls, operations, and protection. This book is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students in mechanical, aerospace, and electrical engineering taking courses in Space Systems, Space Engineering, and Spacecraft Power Systems, as well as for practicing aerospace and power engineers and managers who are designing, developing, and operating spacecraft power systems.

The Role of Nuclear Power and Nuclear Propulsion in the Peaceful Exploration of Space
The Role of Nuclear Power and Nuclear Propulsion in the Peaceful Exploration of Space

Author: International Atomic Energy Agency

Publisher: IAEA

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13:

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Provides details of a variety of radioisotope power systems, shows in what circumstances they surpass other power systems, and provides the history of the space missions in which they have been employed. The book also summarizes the use of on-board reactors and the testing done on reactor rocket thrusters.

Nuclear Batteries and Radioisotopes
Nuclear Batteries and Radioisotopes

Author: Mark Prelas

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-08-04

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 331941724X

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This book explains the physics of nuclear battery operation. It provides a comprehensive background that allows readers to understand all past and future developments in the field. The supply and cost of radioisotopes for use in applications (focused on nuclear batteries) are covered in the initial sections of the text. The interaction of ionizing radiation with matter is discussed as applied to nuclear batteries. The physics of interfacing the radioisotopes to the transducers which represent the energy conversion mechanism for nuclear batteries are described for possible nuclear battery configurations. Last but not least the efficiencies of nuclear battery configurations are discussed combined with a review of the literature on nuclear battery research.

Geophysics and Ocean Waves Studies
Geophysics and Ocean Waves Studies

Author: Khalid S. Essa

Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1789853729

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The book “Geophysics and Ocean Waves Studies” presents the collected chapters in two sections named “Geophysics” and “Ocean Waves Studies”. The first section, “Geophysics”, provides a thorough overview of using different geophysical methods including gravity, self-potential, and EM in exploration. Moreover, it shows the significance of rock physics properties and enhanced oil recovery phases during oil reservoir production. The second section, “Ocean Waves Studies”, is intended to provide the reader with a strong description of the latest developments in the physical and numerical description of wind-generated and long waves, including some new features discovered in the last few years. The section is organized with the aim to introduce the reader from offshore to nearshore phenomena including a description of wave dissipation and large-scale phenomena (i.e., storm surges and landslide-induced tsunamis). This book shall be of great interest to students, scientists, geologists, geophysicists, and the investment community.