![]() ![]() Advanced RPSs under consideration for possible development target increased specific power levels, consequently increasing electric power generation for the same amount of fuel, or reducing fuel requirements for the same power output, compared to the proposed MMRTG or SRG. Currently, NASA has proposed the development of the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG), with static power conversion and the Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG), with dynamic conversion. In line with the SSE DRM set, the RPS DRM set includes a collection of potential future missions, which could be enabled or enhanced by the use of RPS technologies. The proposed SSE Roadmap missions represent the highest priority subset of a broader collection of mission concepts, called NASA’s SSE Design Reference Mission (DRM) set. To constrain costs, small size Discovery class missions are not allowed to use RPSs. Medium size New Frontiers (NF) class missions could also consider RPSs, although the ones targeting the 3rd NF opportunity would not likely utilize them. Under the current candidate architectures, all of these Flagship class missions would require Radioisotope Power Systems (RPSs), as enabling technologies. Large size Flagship class missions are proposed to target Europa, Titan / Enceladus, Venus, and the Neptune system. NASA’s 2006 Solar System Exploration (SSE) Strategic Roadmap identified a set of small, medium and large missions, to address exploration targets, set out by the National Research Council (NRC) in the SSE Decadal Survey. ![]() Some of these environments, however, are specific to space and thus the related technology developments should be spearheaded by NASA with collaboration from industry and academia. We will argue that synergistic development programs between these fields could be highly beneficial and cost effective for the various agencies and industries. We will also highlight cross cutting EE mitigation technologies, for example, between high g-load tolerant impactors for Europa and instrumented projectiles on Earth high temperature electronics sensors on Jupiter deep probes and sensors inside jet engines and pressure vessel technologies for Venus probes and sea bottom monitors. In this paper we outline the findings of NASA's Extreme Environments Study Team, including discussions on state of the art and emerging capabilities related to environmental protection, tolerance and operations in EEs. Some of these EE conditions are not unique to space missions they can be encountered by terrestrial assets from the fields of defense, oil and gas, aerospace, and automotive industries. Mission operations could also introduce extreme conditions, due to atmospheric entry heat flux and deceleration. Other environments include thermal cycling, and corrosion. In the Jovian system low temperatures are coupled with high radiation. For instance, near the surface of Venus and in the deep atmospheres of giant planets, probes would experience high temperatures and pressures. Over the next decades, NASA's planned solar system exploration missions are targeting planets, moons and small bodies, where spacecraft would be expected to encounter diverse extreme environmental (EE) conditions throughout their mission phases. ![]()
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