Advanced Stirling radioisotope generator

Cutaway diagram of the advanced Stirling radioisotope generator.

The advanced Stirling radioisotope generator (ASRG) is a radioisotope power system under development at NASA]'s Glenn Research Center. It uses a Stirling power conversion technology to convert radioactive-decay heat into electricity for use on spacecraft. The energy conversion process used by an ASRG is about four times more efficient than in previous radioisotope systems to produce a similar amount of power, and allows it to use about one quarter of the plutonium-238 than other similar generators. Two flight-quality units will be ready to be fueled by 2017, but actual flight units are not expected until 2028.[1]

Development

Development was undertaken in 2000 under joint sponsorship by the United States Department of Energy (DoE), Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC) for potential future space missions. The DOE cancelled that contract in late 2013, after the cost had risen to over $260 million, $110 million more than originally expected.[2][3][4] Despite termination of the ASRG flight development contract, NASA continues a small investment in the technology in partnership with Sunpower Inc. for their potential use by future space exploration missions.[4][5][6][7] By January 2015, NASA's GRC estimated that that the first pair of "flight-quality" ASRGs will be ready to be fueled as early as 2017,[6][8] but the required concept maturation will prolong development of a flight-ready unit until 2028.[1]

Specifications

The higher conversion efficiency of the Stirling cycle compared with that of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) used in previous missions (Viking, Pioneer, Voyager, Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini, New Horizons, and Mars Science Laboratory) would have offered an advantage of a fourfold reduction in PuO2 fuel, at half the mass of an RTG. It would have produced 140 watts of electricity using a quarter of the plutonium an RTG or MMRTG needs.[9]

The two finished flight units will have these specifications: [6]

Flight proposals

ASRGs can be installed on a wide variety of vehicles, from orbiters, landers and rovers to balloons and planetary boats. A spacecraft proposed to use this generator was the TiME boat-lander mission to Titan, the largest moon of the planet Saturn, with a launch intended for January 2015,[10][11] or 2023.[12] In February 2009 it was announced that NASA/ESA had given Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM/Laplace) mission priority ahead of the Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM), which could have included TiME.[13][14] In August 2012, TiME also lost the 2016 Discovery class competition to the InSight Mars lander.[15]

The HORUS mission was proposing to use three ASRG to power an orbiter for the Uranian system.[16] The Jupiter Europa Orbiter mission proposed using four ASRG to power an orbiter in the Jovian system. Another possibility was the Mars Geyser Hopper.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Stirling Technical Interchange Meeting" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  2. ↑ The ASRG Cancellation in Context Future Planetary Exploration
  3. ↑ Closing out the ASRG program. Author: Casey Dreier. 23 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 NASA Glenn Research Center Support of the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator Project. (PDF) Wilson, Scott D. NASA Glenn Research Center. April 1, 2015. Accessed April 8, 2016.
  5. ↑ Stirling Converter Technology. NASA, 2014
  6. 1 2 3 Reckart, Timothy A. (January 22, 2015). "Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator". Glenn Research Center (NASA). Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  7. ↑ Optimized Heat Pipe Backup Cooling System Tested with a Stirling Convertor. (PDF) NASA GRC. March 1, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Radioisotope Power Systems Technologies". Glenn Research Center. NASA. January 22, 2015. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  9. ↑ Leone, Dan (11 March 2015). "U.S. Plutonium Stockpile Good for Two More Nuclear Batteries after Mars 2020". Space News. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
  10. ↑ Stofan, Ellen (25 August 2009). "Titan Mare Explorer (TiME): The First Exploration of an Extra-Terrestrial Sea" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  11. ↑ Titan Mare Explorer (TiME): The First Exploration of an Extra-Terrestrial Sea
  12. ↑ Titan Mare Explorer: TiME for Titan. (PDF) Lunar and Planetary Institute (2012).
  13. ↑ "NASA and ESA Prioritize Outer Planet Missions". NASA. February 18, 2009.
  14. ↑ Rincon, Paul (February 18, 2009). "Jupiter in space agencies' sights". BBC News.
  15. ↑ Vastag, Brian (August 20, 2012). "NASA will send robot drill to Mars in 2016". Washington Post.
  16. ↑ Smith, R.M.; Yozwiak, A.W.; Lederer, A.P.; Turtle, E.P. (2010). "HORUS—Herschel Orbital Reconnaissance of the Uranian System". 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference: 2471. Bibcode:2010LPI....41.2471S.

External links

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