List of nuclear power systems in space

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This list of nuclear power systems in space includes 83 nuclear power systems that were flown to space, or at least launched in an attempt to reach space. Such used nuclear power systems include:

Systems never launched are not included here, see Nuclear power in space. Initial total power is provided as either electrical power (We) or thermal power (Wt), depending on the intended application.

Nation Mission Launched Status Location Notes Type System name Nuclear fuel Power (nominal) Ref
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Transit-4A 1961 Intact Earth orbit RTG SNAP-3B 238
Pu
 2.7 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Transit-4B 1961 Intact Earth orbit RTG SNAP-3B 238
Pu
 2.7 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Transit 5BN-1 1963 Intact Earth orbit RTG SNAP-9A 238
Pu
 25.2 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Transit 5BN-2 1963 Intact Earth orbit RTG SNAP-9A 238
Pu
 26.8 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Transit 5BN-3 1964 Destroyed - Failed to reach orbit, burned up in atmosphere. RTG SNAP-9A 238
Pu
 25 We [2]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA SNAPSHOT 1965 Intact Earth orbit Low graveyard orbit in 1300 km height Fission reactor SNAP-10A 235
U
 (uranium-zirconium hydride)		 500 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Nimbus B (Nimbus-B1) 1968-05-18 Destroyed - Crashed at launch, radioactive material from RTG recovered from ocean and reused RTG SNAP-19B (2) 238
Pu
 56 We [1][3]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Nimbus 3 (Nimbus-B2) 1969-04-14 Destroyed - Earth re-entry 1972 RTG SNAP-19B (2) 238
Pu
 56 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Nimbus IV 1970 Intact Earth orbit RTG SNAP-19 [4]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Nimbus V 1972 Intact Earth orbit RTG SNAP-19 [4]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Nimbus VI 1975 Damaged Earth orbit RTG SNAP-19 [4]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Nimbus VII 1978 Damaged Earth orbit RTG SNAP-19 [4]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Apollo 11 1969 Intact Lunar surface Sea of Tranquility RHU RHU (2) 30 Wt [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Apollo 12 ALSEP 1969 Intact Lunar surface Ocean of Storms[5] RTG SNAP-27 238
Pu
 73.6 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Apollo 13 ALSEP 1970 Intact Earth ocean Survived reentry, remains at 7000+ ft depth, Tonga Trench, Pacific Ocean RTG SNAP-27 238
Pu
 73 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Apollo 14 ALSEP 1971 Intact Lunar surface Fra Mauro RTG SNAP-27 238
Pu
 72.5 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Apollo 15 ALSEP 1971 Intact Lunar surface Hadley–Apennine RTG SNAP-27 238
Pu
 74.7 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Pioneer 10 1972 Intact Solar escape trajectory RTG SNAP-19 (4) + RHU (12) 238
Pu
 162.8 We + 12 Wt [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Apollo 16 ALSEP 1972 Intact Lunar surface Descartes Highlands RTG SNAP-27 238
Pu
 70.9 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA TRAID-01-1X 1972 Intact Earth orbit RTG SNAP-19 238
Pu
 35.6 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Apollo 17 ALSEP 1972 Intact Lunar surface Taurus–Littrow RTG SNAP-27 238
Pu
 75.4 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Pioneer 11 1973 Intact Solar escape trajectory RTG RTG SNAP-19 (4) + RHU (12) 238
Pu
 159.6 We + 12 Wt [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Viking 1 1976 Intact Mars surface Chryse Planitia RTG lander modified SNAP-19 (2) 238
Pu
 84.6 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Viking 2 1976 Intact Mars surface Utopia Planitia RTG lander modified SNAP-19 (2) 238
Pu
 86.2 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA LES-8 1976 Intact Earth orbit Near geostationary orbit RTG MHW-RTG (2) 238
Pu
 307.4 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA LES-9 1976 Intact Earth orbit Near geostationary orbit RTG MHW-RTG (2) 238
Pu
 308.4 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Voyager 1 1977 In use Solar escape trajectory RTG MHW-RTG (3) + RHU(9) 238
Pu
 477.6 We + 9 Wt [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Voyager 2 1977 In use Solar escape trajectory RTG MHW-RTG (3) + RHU(9) 238
Pu
 470.1 We + 9 Wt [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Mars 2020/Perseverance 2020 In use Mars surface RTG MMRTG 238
Pu
 		110 We [6]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Galileo 1989 Destroyed - Jupiter atmospheric entry RTG GPHS-RTG (2) 576.8 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Ulysses 1990 Intact Heliocentric orbit RTG GPHS-RTG 283 We [1]
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Cassini 1997 Destroyed - Burned-up in Saturn's atmosphere RTG GPHS-RTG (3) 238
Pu
 887 We
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA New Horizons 2006 In use Solar escape trajectory RTG GPHS-RTG (1) 238
Pu
 249.6 We
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA MSL/Curiosity rover 2011 In use Mars surface RTG MMRTG 238
Pu
 113 We
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 84 1965 Intact Earth orbit RTG Orion-1 RTG 210
Po
 [4][7]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 90 1965 Intact Earth orbit RTG Orion-1 RTG 210
Po
 [4][7]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 198 (RORSAT) 1967-12-27 Intact Earth orbit Fission reactor BES-5 ?? 235
U
 [4][8]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 209 (RORSAT) 1968-03-22 Intact Earth orbit Fission reactor BES-5 ?? 235
U
 [4][8]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 300 (Moon) 1969-09-23 Destroyed - Failed to achieve escape trajectory, burned up 4 days after launch RTG 210
Po
 		[9]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 305 (Moon) 1969-10-22 Destroyed - Failed to achieve escape trajectory, burned up 2 days after launch RTG 210
Po
 [4][10][11][12][9]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 367 (RORSAT) 1970-10-03 Intact Earth orbit, 579 mile altitude Fission reactor BES-5 ?? 235
U
 2 kWe [4][8][13]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 402 (RORSAT) 1971 Intact Earth orbit Fission reactor BES-5 ?? 235
U
 2 kWe [4][8]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 469 (RORSAT) 1971 Intact High orbit Fission reactor BES-5 (officially confirmed) 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 516 1972 Intact High orbited 1972 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union RORSAT 1973 Destroyed - Launch failure over Pacific Ocean, near Japan Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 626 1973 Intact Earth orbit Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 651 1974 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 654 1974 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 723 1975 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 724 1975 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 785 1975 Destroyed - Failed after reaching orbit Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 860 1976 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 861 1976 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 952 1977 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 954 1977 Destroyed - Exploded on re-entry 1978 (over Canada) Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1176 1980 Intact Earth orbit 11788/11971 Earth orbit 870–970 km Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1249 1981 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1266 1981 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1299 1981 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1402 1982 Destroyed - Earth re-entry 1983 (South Atlantic) Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1372 1982 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1365 1982 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1412 1982 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1461 1983 Destroyed - Earth orbit, exploded Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [4]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1597 1984 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1607 1984 Intact Earth orbit High orbited 1985 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1670 1985 Intact Earth orbit High orbited 1985 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1677 1985 Intact Earth orbit High orbited 1985 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1736 1986 Intact Earth orbit High orbited 1986 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1771 1986 Intact Earth orbit High orbited 1986 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1900 1987 Intact Earth orbit Earth orbit, 454 mile altitude Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14][13]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1860 1987 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1932 1988 Intact Earth orbit 800–900 km Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1682 1985 Intact Earth orbit High orbited 1986 Fission reactor BES-5 235
U
 2 kWe [14]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1818 (RORSAT) 1987 Destroyed - Destroyed in high Earth orbit Fission reactor Topaz-I 235
U
 5 kWe [15]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 1867 (RORSAT) 1987 Intact Earth Parked in high Earth orbit Fission reactor Topaz-I 235
U
 5 kWe [16]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Lunokhod 201 1969-02-19 Destroyed - Rocket exploded at launch, radioactive material from RHU spread over Russia RHU 210
Po
 [17]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Lunokhod 1 1970 Intact Lunar surface RHU 210
Po
 [17]
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Lunokhod 2 1973 Intact Lunar surface RHU 210
Po
 [17]
File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia Mars 96 1996 Destroyed - Launch failure, entered Pacific Ocean RHU RHU (4) 238
Pu
 [17]
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Chang'e 3 lander 2013 In use Lunar surface RHU In combination with solar panels allows continued use of the Lunar-based ultraviolet telescope 238
Pu
 [18]

[19]

File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Yutu rover 2013 Intact Lunar surface RHU Communication lost in 2015
File:Flag of India.svg India Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module 2023 In use Earth orbit RHU BARC RHU, transferred back from lunar orbit after lander mission completion 241Am 2 Wt [20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 "Atomic Power in Space II: A History 2015" (PDF). inl.gov. Idaho National Laboratory. September 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  2. ↑ "Transit". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  3. ↑ A. Angelo Jr. and D. Buden (1985). Space Nuclear Power. Krieger Publishing Company. ISBN 0-89464-000-3.
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Hagen, Regina (November 8, 1998). "Nuclear Powered Space Missions - Past and Future". space4peace.org. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  5. ↑ David M. Harland (2011). Apollo 12 - On the Ocean of Storms. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 269. ISBN 978-1-4419-7607-9.
  6. ↑ mars.nasa.gov. "Electrical Power". mars.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bennett, Gary L. (August 6, 1989). "A LOOK AT THE SOVIET SPACE NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM" (PDF). International Forum on Energy Engineering. IECEC-89. NASA Propulsion, Power and Energy Division. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Sven Grahn. "The US-A program (Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellites)". svengrahn.pp.se. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "The 2014 NASA Nuclear Power Assessment Study (NPAS): Safety, Environmental Impact, and Launch Approval Considerations and Findings" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  10. ↑ Encyclopedia Astronautica article on the US-A RORSAT programme.
  11. ↑ "USSR - Luna Programme".
  12. ↑ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details".
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Top 10 Space Age Radiation Incidents". 20 January 2012.
  14. ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 14.15 14.16 14.17 14.18 14.19 14.20 14.21 14.22 14.23 14.24 14.25 14.26 14.27 14.28 14.29 14.30 "US-A". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Mark Wade. 14 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-14. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  15. ↑ "Old Russian Nuclear Satellite Returns". Spacedaily.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  16. ↑ Lardier, Christian; Barensky, Stefan (March 27, 2018). The Proton Launcher: History and Developments. Wiley-ISTE. ISBN 978-1786301765.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Karacalıoğlu, Göktuğ (January 6, 2014). "Energy Resources for Space Missions". Space Safety Magazine. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  18. ↑ SUN, ZeZhou; JIA, Yang; ZHANG, He (November 2013). "Technological advancements and promotion roles of Chang'e-3 lunar probe mission". Science China. 56 (11): 2702–2708. Bibcode:2013ScChE..56.2702S. doi:10.1007/s11431-013-5377-0. S2CID 111801601. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  19. ↑ "Chang'e-3 - Satellite Missions". earth.esa.int. ESA. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  20. ↑ "Nuclear energy keeps Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module going". The Times of India. 2023-10-31. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
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