/technologies/power-management/b/alt-energy-blog/posts/mini-fission-reactor(Artist concept of the reactor. via Galaxy Wire) NASA and the DOE are set to create a new type of power system for use in future space exploration. The concept is a mini-fission reactor that is 1.5 feet wide and 2.5 feet high. &quot;[It is] abo...en-USTelligent Community 12https://community.element14.com/technologies/power-management/b/alt-energy-blog/posts/mini-fission-reactorWed, 31 Aug 2011 19:14:24 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:2462cb09-7b53-4a33-be38-76d53b6719a1Zad0<p>Is this a story? The Viking lander missions to Mars used radioisotopes to generate electrical power from thermopiles. All the deep space (Voyager, Pioneer etc) missions use similar systems, and the latest mission to Mars (Mars Science Laboratory) uses it too. I guess the newer system provides more power as the existing technology provides 2kW per unit</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a class="jive-link-external-small" href="http://nuclear.gov/pdfFiles/MMRTG.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nuclear.gov/pdfFiles/MMRTG.pdf</a></p><p><a class="jive-link-external-small" href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/technology/technologiesofbroadbenefit/power/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/technology/technologiesofbroadbenefit/power/</a></p><img src="https://community.element14.com/aggbug?PostID=13105&AppID=68&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">