“The isotope of interest for space is americium-241…Its half-life is a staggering 432 years, five times longer than plutonium-238.”
“The isotope of interest for space is americium-241…Its half-life is a staggering 432 years, five times longer than plutonium-238.”
Not thermoelectrics, but sterling engines. But fair point about the heat.
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