For Mission Planners

NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems Program, in partnership with the Office of Space and Defense Power Systems at the Department of Energy, offers mission concept developers access to planning and user guides for RPS systems.

MMRTG Mission Planner Data Package
Additional Requirements
Data Package Request/User Agreement
RPS Dose Estimation Tool
Estimation Tool Package Request / User Agreement
Lightweight Radioisotope Heat User Guide
Contact

MMRTG Mission Planner Data Package

  • Only one new individual per organization will be granted access to the data package.
  • The definition of an "organization" is subject to the discretion of the RPS Program and Department of Energy (i.e., a large company with major offices on the east and west coasts may be permitted to have one library member per office).

Additional Requirements

  • U.S. Citizenship (Non-US Citizens are not permitted to access the data package)
  • Demonstrate valid need for data package
  • To be considered for approval, applicants must complete and return the following form to NASA-RPS@mail.nasa.gov

Lightweight Radioisotope Heater Unit (LWRHU) User Guide

Only one new individual per organization will be granted access to the LWRHU User Guide.

The definition of an "organization" is subject to the discretion of the RPS Program and DOE (i.e., a large company with major offices on the east and west coasts may be permitted to have one point of contact per office).

Additional Requirements

  • U.S. Citizenship (Non-US Citizens are not permitted to access the data package)
  • Demonstrate valid need for data package
  • Applicants must complete and return the following form to NASA-RPS@mail.nasa.gov to be considered for approval:

Download

View All

Lightweight Radioisotope Heater Unit (LWRHU) User Guide

(564.36 KB)

RPS Dose Estimation Tool

Computer graphics showing the strength of various fields around the line drawing of a proposed spacecraft.
Example RPS-DET results
NASA

The RPS Dose Estimation Tool (RPS-DET) is a software application created to simplify the process of designing, simulating, and analyzing ionizing radiation phenomena associated with RPS.

RPS-DET leverages the SCALE nuclear software suite as a foundation for Monte Carlo particle transport, isotopic decay, source term generation, and data visualization. Users with or without radiation modeling experience can now use RPS-DET’s customizable, library-based architecture to select from multiple pre-written RPS designs and components, place them in various environmental scenarios — terrestrial, planetary, spacecraft, etc. — and specify fuel compositions and ages.

The simulations can be used to estimate 3D instantaneous particle fluxes and dose rates or time-integrated fluences and doses generated by an RPS over a complex mission lifetime. Detailed information regarding RPS-DET and SCALE capabilities, applications, and resources can be found at the links below.

This form shall be filled out by an individual requesting access to the RPS-Dose Estimation Tool. Completion of this form will initiate the applicant review process, which determines whether the applicant meets the access requirements.

Reference Information:

Contact

For more information, please email NASA-RPS@mail.nasa.gov or rpsdethelp@ornl.gov.