Comment on Americium: How a small element could power the next century of space exploration
treadful@lemmy.zip 1 day agoNot thermoelectrics, but sterling engines. But fair point about the heat.
Comment on Americium: How a small element could power the next century of space exploration
treadful@lemmy.zip 1 day agoNot thermoelectrics, but sterling engines. But fair point about the heat.
AA5B@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Voyager I and II are 48 years old running on thermoelectric generators. that’s amazing. They are winding down because the half life of plutonium means there is much less power than when new.
I can see future probes lasting even longer with americium as a fuel source
But introducing moving parts for a sterling engine? In space? And expect it to last like that? Seems unlikely