NASA Thread

[BMD]

Plasmon-Enhanced Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) Power Generation for Interstellar Missions​

Plasmon-Enhanced Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic

This proposal seeks to develop a transformative energy system -- the plasmon-enhanced radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) generator -- that significantly

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This proposal seeks to develop a transformative energy system — the plasmon-enhanced radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) generator — that significantly surpasses the performance of current radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) in both specific power and efficiency. Designed to achieve a specific power of 17 W/kg and a thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency greater than 40%, the PRTPV offers a sevenfold improvement in efficiency and nearly an order-of-magnitude increase in specific power compared to state-of-the-art RTGs.

EARENDIL

EARENDIL addresses a critical barrier to sustained human operations on the lunar surface: the extreme cold of permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) and the

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EARENDIL addresses a critical barrier to sustained human operations on the lunar surface: the extreme cold of permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) and the two-week lunar night. These environments impose severe thermal constraints on astronauts, limiting mission flexibility, endangering safety during contingencies, and curtailing scientific access to volatile-rich, cryogenic terrains. The central objective of this proposal is to assess the feasibility of integrating compact americium-241 (Am-241) radioisotope heat sources into extravehicular activity (EVA) suits to provide astronauts with continuous, passive warmth during extended surface operations in these extreme environments.