Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: Nuclear power provides an enabling capability for NASA missions that might otherwise be constrained by power availability, mission duration, or operational robustness. NASA and the Department of Energy (DOE) are developing fission power technology to serve a wide range of future space uses. Advantages include lower mass, longer life, and greater mission flexibility than competing power system options. Kilowatt-class fission systems, designated "Kilopower," were conceived to address the need for systems to fill the gap above the current 100-Wclass radioisotope power systems being developed for science missions and below the typical 100-kWe-class reactor power systems being developed for human exploration missions. This paper reviews the current fission technology project and examines some Kilopower concepts that could be used to support future science missions or human precursors.
Authors: Lee S. Mason, Marc A. Gibson, Dave Poston
Institutions: Glenn Research Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear Energy and Engineering
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1530132216