I finally got around to texturing my version of a NASA Multi-mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG).
These generators were designed to be safe, reliable, long-lived (approx. 90 years) power systems to be used in missions as far back as the Apollo missions. In total, over the last four decades, 26 missions and 45 RTGs have been launched by the United States.
Solid-state thermoelectric couples convert the heat produced by the natural decay of the radioisotope plutonium-238 to electricity. A temperature gradient generates an electron flow in the system, but unlike photovoltaic solar arrays, RTGs are not dependent upon solar energy, so they can be used for deep space missions.
#electricity #thermoelectric #generator #nasa #energy
- Comments