RTG
E49819
RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) is a long-lived power system that converts heat from the natural decay of radioactive material into electricity, commonly used on deep-space missions like Voyager 2.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
power system
ⓘ
radioisotope thermoelectric generator ⓘ |
| advantage |
low maintenance requirements
ⓘ
operation in dark or dusty environments ⓘ |
| advantageOver | solar panels in outer solar system ⓘ |
| category |
nuclear power source
ⓘ
spacecraft power system ⓘ |
| component |
heat rejection system
ⓘ
radiation shielding ⓘ radioisotope heat source ⓘ thermocouples ⓘ |
| converts | thermal energy to electrical energy ⓘ |
| feature |
continuous power generation
ⓘ
high reliability ⓘ independent of solar illumination ⓘ long-lived power output ⓘ no moving parts in power conversion ⓘ |
| fullName |
MMRTG
ⓘ
surface form:
Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator
|
| heatOutputRange | hundreds to thousands of watts thermal ⓘ |
| limitation |
finite fuel decay power
ⓘ
high development and safety cost ⓘ political and regulatory constraints ⓘ |
| powerConversionMethod | thermoelectric effect ⓘ |
| powerOutputRange | tens to hundreds of watts electrical ⓘ |
| relatedTechnology |
dynamic radioisotope power system
ⓘ
radioisotope heater unit ⓘ |
| safetyConcern |
launch accident risk
ⓘ
radioactive material containment ⓘ |
| typicalLifetime | decades ⓘ |
| usedByOrganization |
European Space Agency
ⓘ
NASA ⓘ Roscosmos ⓘ Soviet space program ⓘ |
| usedFor |
deep-space missions
ⓘ
planetary exploration missions ⓘ spacecraft electrical power ⓘ spacecraft thermal management ⓘ |
| usedOn |
Cassini–Huygens
ⓘ
surface form:
Cassini spacecraft
Curiosity rover ⓘ Galileo spacecraft ⓘ New Horizons ⓘ
surface form:
New Horizons spacecraft
Perseverance rover ⓘ Pioneer 10 ⓘ
surface form:
Pioneer 10 spacecraft
Pioneer 11 ⓘ
surface form:
Pioneer 11 spacecraft
Voyager 1 ⓘ
surface form:
Voyager 1 spacecraft
Voyager 2 ⓘ
surface form:
Voyager 2 spacecraft
|
| usesEnergySource | radioactive decay heat ⓘ |
| usesMaterial |
plutonium-238
ⓘ
radioisotope fuel ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.