Feasibility of a Small, Low-Power RTG Concept Utilizing a GPHS Heat Source

Over the past 25 years, the average cadence of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions that employ radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) or other radioisotope power systems (RPSs) is approximately one per decade. Currently, the only flight-qualified RPS in the NASA inventory for space power applications is the multi-mission RTG, which has a beginning-of-life (BOL) power output of approximately 120 W(electric). In addition, NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy also manage the Next Generation Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator Development Project, with a projected BOL power of around 245 W(electric).