In the race to explore deep space, NASA is betting on a new kind of nuclear fuel.<\/p>\n
For over 60 years, the world\u2019s leading space agency has relied on radioisotope power systems (RPS) to deliver steady, long-term electrical power to spacecraft operating far from the Sun.<\/p>\n
Traditionally, plutonium-238 has been the radioisotope of choice. But now, researchers are turning their attention to americium-241, a fuel under active development in Europe and now undergoing testing in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Fueling farther, cheaper, longer<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland partnered with the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom to test a Stirling generator powered by americium-241 heat source simulators.<\/p>\n
The setup used electrically heated devices that mimic the thermal output of americium decay, allowing engineers to safely evaluate performance and reliability without handling radioactive materials.<\/p>\n
Unlike conventional heat engines, the Stirling convertor uses floating pistons with no crankshaft or rotating bearings, a design that enables it to operate continuously for decades with minimal wear.<\/p>\n
Researchers successfully demonstrated a Stirling generator testbed that continued producing power even when one convertor failed, a key feature for missions that can\u2019t afford to lose power in deep space.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe concept started as just a design, and we took it all the way to the prototype level \u2014 something close to a flight version of the generator,\u201d said Salvatore Oriti, mechanical engineer at Glenn.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more impressive part is how quickly and inexpensively we got it done, only made possible by a great synergy between the NASA and University of Leicester teams. We were on the same wavelength and shared the same mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n
With performance and efficiency targets met, NASA now plans to develop a next-generation testbed with lower mass, higher fidelity, and readiness for environmental testing.<\/p>\n
If successful, americium-241 could expand NASA\u2019s power options for missions to the outer solar system and beyond, where sunlight is scarce and reliability is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n
\u201cA particular highlight of this testbed design is that it is capable of withstanding a failed Stirling convertor without a loss of electrical power,\u201d said Hannah Sargeant, research fellow at the University of Leicester.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis feature was demonstrated successfully in the test campaign and highlights the robustness and reliability of an Americium-Radioisotope Stirling Generator for potential future spaceflight missions, including long-duration missions that could operate for many decades.\u201d<\/p>\n
Power that outlasts decades<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s interest in americium-241 comes at a time when demand for long-lived, compact, and efficient power systems is growing, not just for robotic spacecraft but also for future crewed missions and lunar surface operations.<\/p>\n
With its relatively long half-life of 432 years and more accessible production routes, americium-241 presents a compelling alternative to plutonium-238, which is more expensive and harder to produce at scale.<\/p>\n
The European Space Agency has been developing americium-powered systems for years, and NASA\u2019s <\/a>collaboration with the University of Leicester builds directly on that progress. <\/p>\n The Glenn team is now working on the next version of the testbed: one that is lighter, more efficient, and able to withstand the environmental extremes of launch and space travel<\/a>.<\/p>\n Upcoming tests will likely subject the system to vibration, thermal cycling, and vacuum conditions to ensure it can endure the rigors of real-world missions.<\/p>\n If fully realized, americium-fueled Stirling generators could power science instruments, landers, or small surface habitats in environments where sunlight is weak or unreliable, including the permanently shadowed craters of the Moon <\/a>or the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the race to explore deep space, NASA is betting on a new kind of nuclear fuel. For…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19235,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[16360,49,48,16361,16362,307,16363,16364,16365,66,16366,16367,16368],"class_list":["post-19234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-americium-241","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-deep-space-missions","tag-glenn-research-center","tag-nasa","tag-nuclear-battery","tag-plutonium-238-alternative","tag-radioisotope-generator","tag-science","tag-space-power","tag-stirling-engine","tag-university-of-leicester"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}