{"id":280901,"date":"2025-07-22T23:16:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T03:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/noticias\/nasa-tests-new-heat-source-fuel-for-space-missions\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T15:56:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T19:56:12","slug":"nasa-tests-new-heat-source-fuel-for-space-missions","status":"publish","type":"noticias","link":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/news\/nasa-tests-new-heat-source-fuel-for-space-missions\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA tests new heat source fuel for space missions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With the goal of ensuring reliable and long-lasting power on future missions to remote regions of the solar system, NASA <\/strong>and the University of Leicester<\/strong> are testing a new radioisotope heat source fuel<\/strong> based on americium-241. Such an option could complement or even replace plutonium-238, which has been the primary energy source on spacecraft such as Voyager and the Perseverance rover. <\/p>\n\n

Americium-241: a new heat source fuel<\/h2>\n\n

Over the past two decades, European researchers have evaluated the potential of americium-241<\/strong> as an energy source for extreme environments. Its availability, especially in the UK, and its long half-life make it an attractive candidate. Through an agreement between NASA Glenn Research Center<\/strong> and the University of Leicester, tests were initiated with thermal simulators that replicate the behavior of this isotope in real conditions. <\/p>\n\n

To convert heat into electricity, the team used free-piston Stirling converters<\/strong>. Unlike other engines, these require no rotating parts or bearings, minimizing mechanical wear. Such technology allows continuous power generation for decades, ideal for long-duration missions. <\/p>\n\n

Simulators supplied by Leicester emulate the geometry <\/strong>and thermal performance of americium-241<\/strong>, using electric heaters. Simultaneously, Glenn’<\/strong> s thermal conversion<\/strong> laboratory provided the Stirling hardware<\/strong> and testing infrastructure. A relevant aspect of the system is its ability to continue generating power even if a converter fails, which strengthens its reliability in remote scenarios. <\/p>\n\n

The tests exceeded expectations in terms of both efficiency and operational stability. A new version of the system, with lower weight and better environmental adaptation, is currently under development. This technological evolution opens the door to new energy strategies for space exploration<\/strong>, reducing costs and increasing mission autonomy. <\/p>\n\n

The synergy between the two institutions allowed progress to be made from a conceptual idea to a working prototype in record time. Leicester’s expertise in handling americium and the technical capabilities of NASA<\/a><\/strong> laid the groundwork for a partnership that could transform the power supply for future space expeditions. <\/p>\n\n

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Source and photo: NASA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Simulators provided by Leicester emulate the geometry and thermal performance of americium-241, using electric heaters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8404,"featured_media":280864,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categoria_noticias":[13064,13030],"etiqueta_noticias":[],"class_list":["post-280901","noticias","type-noticias","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categoria_noticias-aerospace","categoria_noticias-industry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/noticias\/280901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/noticias"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/noticias"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8404"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/noticias\/280901\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"categoria_noticias","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categoria_noticias?post=280901"},{"taxonomy":"etiqueta_noticias","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/etiqueta_noticias?post=280901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}