Nuclear-electric power in space: Nuclear-reactor power systems could produce an abundance of new applications in space, hut design hurdles abound

The chief power sources being used today in space " solar arrays, fuel cells, and radioisotope generators " will be inadequate for many, more ambitious future space missions. Compact, lightweight power systems, yet to be developed, that can produce up to 1000 kilowatts of electric power (kWe) will eventually be needed and three U.S. government agencies believe the solutions is to develop a system based on nuclear energy.