Design and Analysis of RTGs for Solar and Martian Exploration Missions

Abstract

The paper described the results of design, analysis and spacecraft integration studies of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) for three unmanned space exploration missions. The three missions, consisting of the Mars Rover and Sample Return (MRSR) mission, the Solar Probe mission, and the Mars Global Net work (MGN) mission, are under study by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The NASA/JPL mission studies are supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Special Applications (DOE/OSA), which has commissioned Fairchild Space Company to carry out the required RTG design studies.