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Spacecraft should ditch solar panels for far-flung missions and usenuclear RTG's or their own fuel for electrical power



 
 
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Old January 22nd 15, 06:06 AM posted to sci.astro.amateur
RichA[_6_]
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Default Spacecraft should ditch solar panels for far-flung missions and usenuclear RTG's or their own fuel for electrical power

A fuel cell large enough to provide a few hundred watts of power could be made to use whatever fuel a space probe uses for propulsion. Like the old gasoline-powered heaters in Volkswagen cars. Combustible fuels, like nuclear devices produce far, far more power than solar cells can, especially out where there is little sunlight (beyond Mars). Solar cells are best-suited for close-solar missions where large, complex and mechanically failure-prone solar panels aren't needed.

 




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