Dynamic Radioisotope Power Systems (DRPS)

Updated: August 2022

NASA and the Department of Energy (DOE) are working together to enable more capable space missions through the development of Dynamic Radioisotope Power Systems (DRPS). Such systems can achieve overall efficiencies at least three times greater than current state-of-the-art RTGs.

This increase in efficiency provides more power per kilogram of fuel than RTGs, meaning that a mission could have more power and use less radioisotope fuel, while limiting the amount of radiation and waste heat that they produce. These options make a DRPS ideal for certain human exploration missions and a viable option for specialized