Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are the power plants of the interplanetary spacecraft. Or at least they have been for going on 50 years now. But they have significant drawbacks, the ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Voyager 1, shown in this illustration, has operated for decades thanks to a radioisotope power system. NASA via AP Powering ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Ever wonder how a spacecraft millions or even billions of miles from the Sun can keep its lights on? After all, solar panels ...

Launched in 1977, the Voyager 1 and 2 space probes have been operating non-stop for over 45 years, making their way from Earth to our solar system’s outer planets and beyond. Courtesy of the ...

NASA engineers sent a command on April 17, 2026, to shut down one of Voyager 1’s four remaining science instruments, the ...

On Earth, nuclear power is controversial - but for deep space missions it is a necessity. However, the plutonium driving spacecraft power systems is invaluable not only for its ability to keep ...

A Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG), built by Lockheed Martin at its Space Systems Company facility in Valley Forge, then fueled by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is providing electric ...

NASA is giving scientists more choices for how to power their future spacecraft to explore the Solar System. Researchers proposing spacecraft ideas for NASA’s Discovery program — an initiative to ...

Powering spacecraft with solar energy may not seem like a challenge, given how intense the sun's light can feel on Earth. Spacecraft near the Earth use large solar panels to harness the sun for the ...

Powering spacecraft with solar energy may not seem like a challenge, given how intense the Sun’s light can feel on Earth. Spacecraft near the Earth use large solar panels to harness the Sun for the ...

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Benjamin Roulston, Clarkson University (THE CONVERSATION) Powering spacecraft with ...