STEM

The power to explore begins with imagination.

A whimsical illustration of a spaxecraft surrounded by planets and stars.

Radioisotope Power Systems: For Kids

  1. 01

    Power to Explore Annual K-12 Writing Challenge

    The contest invites K-12th grade students in the United States to write an essay about a new radioisotope-powered mission for the agency.

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  2. 02

    Video Library

    Kid-friendly videos that explain how radioisotope power systems, or RPS, work.

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  3. 03

    NASA Kids Science

    NASA's award-winning kids' science website engages upper-elementary-aged children in space and Earth science through interactive games, and hands-on activities.

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Discover More Topics From NASA

Radioisotope Power Systems

Two men work on a grand piano-sized spacecraft wrapped in a gold insulating blanket. A large cylinder, a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, sticks out of the side.

Radioisotope Power Systems FAQ

Artists's concept of a Voyager spacecraft in deep space.

About Radioisotope Power Systems

The rover is upside down in this straight from the back view. The image is centered on a cylinder with fins, the spacecraft's Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator.

Power: Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators

This view looking across the back of the Perseverance rover shows the rover's Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG). A rocky, red landscape dotted with rocks fills the horizon.