NASA Thread

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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

www.nasa.gov

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

www.nasa.gov

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.

 

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611K views · 5.9K reactions | We’re built to accelerate U.S. leadership in hypersonics. At Stratolaunch, we operate the Talon-A, an autonomous, reusable, air-launched hypersonic platform, which enables replication of operational complexity and adapts to real-time flight. Watch as the Talon-A comes in for a completely autonomous landing. #Hypersonic #Autonomous #Stratolaunch #Talon | Stratolaunch

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/2088642088187330731

 

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White House Policy Sets Goal of Supporting 1,000 Rocket Launches a Year by 2030​

White House Sets Goal of Supporting 1,000 Rocket Launches a Year

A new White House Space Transportation Policy calls for the Pentagon to craft plans for more space launch infrastructure amid soaring demand.

www.airandspaceforces.com

A new White House policy calls for the Pentagon to craft plans for additional space launch facilities to support a projected increase in launch demand that could see the U.S. supporting as many as 1,000 launches by 2030, more than a fivefold increase from 2025.