Abstract:
NASA has missions planned to targets in the solar system ranging from the permanently shadowed craters of Mercury to the icy reaches of the Kuiper belt and beyond. In 201...Show MoreMetadata
Abstract:
NASA has missions planned to targets in the solar system ranging from the permanently shadowed craters of Mercury to the icy reaches of the Kuiper belt and beyond. In 2011, the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) requested the NASA Ames and Glenn Research Centers to assess the potential of small power supplies based on direct conversion of energy from radioisotope sources for future NASA missions; and in particular to assess whether alphavoltaic and betavoltaic power sources could be of potential benefit in small missions, as well as examining the use of miniaturized thermophotovoltaic power supplies. This paper summarizes the results of that assessment.
Published in: 2012 38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
Date of Conference: 03-08 June 2012
Date Added to IEEE Xplore: 04 October 2012
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