![Twin wheel tracks extend to the horizon in this view over the back of the rover.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/perseverance-rtg-on-mars.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
Perseverance’s Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator on Mars
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover looks back at its wheel tracks on March 17, 2022, the 381st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Perseverance carries a Radioisotope Power System, visible on the left of the rover (featuring the large white fins). This power system, known as a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (or MMRTG), produces a dependable flow of electricity using the heat emitted from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium oxide as its "fuel."
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Image CreditNASA/JPL-Caltech
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