New capabilities allow the rover to do science with less energy from its batteries. Thirteen years since Curiosity landed on Mars, engineers are finding ways to make the NASA rover even more productive. The six-wheeled robot has been given more autonomy and the ability to multitask — improvements designed to make the most of Curiosity’s […]
Category: Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS)
NASA Tests New Heat Source Fuel for Deep Space Exploration
To explore the unknown in deep space, millions of miles away from Earth, it’s crucial for spacecraft to have ample power. NASA’s radioisotope power systems (RPS) are a viable option for these missions and have been used for over 60 years, including for the agency’s Voyager spacecraft and Perseverance Mars rover. These nuclear batteries provide […]
NASA Selects Winners of the 2024-2025 Power to Explore Challenge
NASA has chosen three winners out of nine finalists in the fourth annual Power to Explore Challenge, a national writing competition designed to teach K-12 students about the enabling power of radioisotopes for space exploration. The essay competition asked students to learn about NASA’s radioisotope power systems (RPS), likened to “nuclear batteries,” which the agency […]
Nine Finalists Advance in NASA’s Power to Explore Challenge
NASA has named nine finalists out of the 45 semifinalist student essays in the Power to Explore Challenge, a national writing competition for K-12 students featuring the enabling power of radioisotopes. Contestants were challenged to explore how NASA has powered some of its most famous science missions, and to dream up how their personal “superpowers” […]
How NASA’s Perseverance Is Helping Prepare Astronauts for Mars
The rover carries several swatches of spacesuit materials, and scientists are assessing how they’ve held up after four years on the Red Planet. NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars in 2021 to search for signs of ancient microbial life and to help scientists understand the planet’s climate and geography. But another key objective is to […]