Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs): Pull-apart Animation | NASA Space Tech

Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs): Pull-apart Animation | NASA Space Tech

This 3D animation shows the main components of a radioisotope heater unit, or RHU, that is used to provide heat for many NASA missions that explore the solar system. 

RHUs have a rich history of use on NASA missions. They were first used with the science experiments that were left on the surface of the Moon in 1969 by the Apollo 11 astronauts. Later NASA missions have carried them to Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. All told, the United States has flown 300 RHUs on 32 space missions.

RHUs are small devices that use the decay of plutonium-238 to provide heat to keep spacecraft components and systems warm so that the equipment can survive long enough in the cold space environment to complete its mission. This heat is transferred to spacecraft structures, systems, and instruments directly, without moving parts or intervening electronic components.

By using RHUs, the spacecraft designer can allocate scarce spacecraft electrical power to operate the spacecraft systems and instruments. RHUs also provide the added benefit of reducing potential interference (electromagnetic interference) with instruments or electronics that might be generated by electrical heating systems.

An RHU contains a Pu-238 fuel pellet about the size of a pencil eraser and outputs about 1 Watt of heat. (The entire RHU is about the size of a C-cell battery.) A number of missions employ just a few RHUs for extra heat, while others have dozens.

Download NASA RHU Fact Sheet here:

https://rps.nasa.gov/resources/55/radioisotope-heater-units/

For more information about radioisotope power systems, visit http://rps.nasa.gov

Credit: NASA/U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Duration: 37 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 8, 2013

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Spacecraft #PowerSystems #RadioisotopeHeaterUnits #RHU #Moon #Mars #CuriosityRover #PerseveranceRover #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #Planets #Jupiter #Saturn #SolarSystem #JPL #Caltech #DOE #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education #3DAnimation #HD #Video