Launchpad: What Are Radioisotope Power Systems?
NASA uses Radioisotope Power Systems, or RPS, to convert heat from radioactive decay to electricity, creating predictable, continuous power for long missions in extreme environments. But learn how a next generation Radioisotope Stirling Engine will perform four times more efficiently and help NASA use even less of a precious resource.
Background Information
Grades 6 through 8
Grades 9 through 12
- NASA Radioactive Power Systems
- NASA Radioisotope Power Systems
- NASA Radioisotope Power Systems Fact Sheet
- NASA JPL The Periodic Table: Atoms, Elements, and Isotopes
- NASA JPL Voyager: The Interstellar Mission
- NASA JPL What are isotopes and why should we care?
- Nuclear Energy Institute Space Exploration: Why Nuclear Energy?
Activities
Grades 9 through 12
- NASA JPL Eyes on the Solar System
- NASA JPL Cosmic Chemistry: Understanding Elements