From Handwiki This list of nuclear power systems in space includes Script error: No such module "Table row counter". nuclear power systems that were flown to space, or at least launched in an attempt to reach space. Such used nuclear power systems include:
Systems never launched are not included here, see Nuclear power in space.
Initial total power is provided as either electrical power (We) or thermal power (Wt), depending on the intended application.
| Nation | Mission | Launched | Fate / location | Technology | Nuclear fuel | Power (nominal) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transit-4A | 1961 | Earth orbit | RTG SNAP-3B | 238Pu | 2.7 We | [1] | |
| Transit-4B | 1961 | Earth orbit | RTG SNAP-3B | 238Pu | 2.7 We | [1] | |
| Transit 5BN-1 | 1963 | Earth orbit | RTG SNAP-9A | 238Pu | 25.2 We | [1] | |
| Transit 5BN-2 | 1963 | Earth orbit | RTG SNAP-9A | 238Pu | 26.8 We | [1] | |
| Transit 5BN-3 | 1964 | Failed to reach orbit, burned up in atmosphere. | RTG SNAP-9A | 238Pu | 25 We | [2] | |
| SNAPSHOT | 1965 | Low graveyard orbit in 1300 km height | fission reactor SNAP-10A | 235U (uranium-zirconium hydride) | 500 We | [1] | |
| Nimbus 3 (Nimbus-B2) | 1969-04-14 | Earth re-entry 1972 | RTG SNAP-19B (2) | 238Pu | 56 We | [1] | |
| Nimbus IV | 1970 | Earth orbit | RTG SNAP-19 | [3] | |||
| Nimbus V | 1972 | Earth orbit | RTG SNAP-19 | [3] | |||
| Nimbus VI | 1975 | Earth orbit, damaged | RTG SNAP-19 | [3] | |||
| Nimbus VII | 1978 | Earth orbit, damaged | RTG SNAP-19 | [3] | |||
| Apollo 11 | 1969 | RHU (2) | 30 Wt | [1] | |||
| Apollo 12 ALSEP | 1969 | Lunar surface (Ocean of Storms)[4] | SNAP-27 | 238Pu | 73.6 We | [1] | |
| Apollo 13 ALSEP | 1970 | Earth re-entry (Pacific Ocean, Tonga Trench) | RTG SNAP-27 | 238Pu | 73 We | [1] | |
| Apollo 14 ALSEP | 1971 | Lunar surface (Fra Mauro) | RTG SNAP-27 | 238Pu | 72.5 We | [1] | |
| Apollo 15 ALSEP | 1971 | Lunar surface (Hadley–Apennine) | RTG SNAP-27 | 238Pu | 74.7 We | [1] | |
| Pioneer 10 | 1972 | Ejected from Solar System | RTG SNAP-19 (4) + RHU (12) | 238Pu | 162.8 We + 12 Wt | [1] | |
| Apollo 16 ALSEP | 1972 | Lunar surface (Descartes Highlands) | RTG SNAP-27 | 238Pu | 70.9 We | [1] | |
| TRAID-01-1X | 1972 | Earth orbit | RTG SNAP-19 | 238Pu | 35.6 We | [1] | |
| Apollo 17 ALSEP | 1972 | Lunar surface (Taurus–Littrow) | RTG SNAP-27 | 238Pu | 75.4 We | [1] | |
| Pioneer 11 | 1973 | Ejected from Solar System | RTG SNAP-19 (4) + RHU (12) | 238Pu | 159.6 We + 12 Wt | [1] | |
| Viking 1 | 1976 | Mars surface (Chryse Planitia) | lander modified RTG SNAP-19 (2) | 238Pu | 84.6 We | [1] | |
| Viking 2 | 1976 | Mars surface (Utopia Planitia) | lander modified RTG SNAP-19 (2) | 238Pu | 86.2 We | [1] | |
| LES-8 | 1976 | Near geostationary orbit | MHW-RTG (2) | 238Pu | 307.4 We | [1] | |
| LES-9 | 1976 | Near geostationary orbit | MHW-RTG (2) | 238Pu | 308.4 We | [1] | |
| Voyager 1 | 1977 | Ejected from Solar System | MHW-RTG (3) + RHU(9) | 238Pu | 477.6 We + 9 Wt | [1] | |
| Voyager 2 | 1977 | Ejected from Solar System | MHW-RTG (3) + RHU(9) | 238Pu | 470.1 We + 9 Wt | [1] | |
| Mars 2020/Perseverance | 2020 | Mars surface | MMRTG | 238Pu | 110 We | [5] | |
| Galileo | 1989 | Jupiter atmospheric entry | GPHS-RTG (2) | 576.8 We | [1] | ||
| Ulysses | 1990 | Heliocentric orbit | GPHS-RTG | 283 We | [1] | ||
| Cassini | 1997 | Burned-up in Saturn's Atmosphere | GPHS-RTG (3) | 238Pu | 887 We | ||
| New Horizons | 2006 | Pluto and beyond | GPHS-RTG (1) | 238Pu | 249.6 We | ||
| MSL/Curiosity rover | 2011 | Mars surface | MMRTG | 238Pu | 113 We | ||
| Kosmos 84 | 1965 | Earth orbit | Orion-1 RTG | 210Po | [3][6] | ||
| Kosmos 90 | 1965 | Earth orbit | Orion-1 RTG | 210Po | [3][6] | ||
| Kosmos 198 (RORSAT) | 1967-12-27 | Earth orbit | Fission reactor BES-5 ?? | 235U | [3][7] | ||
| Kosmos 209 (RORSAT) | 1968-03-22 | Earth orbit | Fission reactor BES-5 ?? | 235U | [3][7] | ||
| Kosmos 305 (Moon) | 1969-10-22 | Failed to leave Earth orbit towards the Moon, burned up in atmosphere 2 days after launch | ?? | ?? | ?? | [3][8][9][10] | |
| Kosmos 367 (RORSAT) | 1970-10-03 | Earth orbit, 579 mile altitude | Fission reactor BES-5 ?? | 235U | 2 kWe | [3][7][11] | |
| Kosmos 402 (RORSAT) | 1971 | Earth orbit | Fission reactor BES-5 ?? | 235U | 2 kWe | [3][7] | |
| Kosmos 469 (RORSAT) | 1971 | High orbit | Fission reactor BES-5 (officially confirmed) | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 516 | 1972 | High orbited 1972 | Fission reactor BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| RORSAT | 1973 | Launch failure over Pacific Ocean, near Japan | Fission reactor BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 626 | 1973 | Earth orbit | Fission reactor BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 651 | 1974 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 654 | 1974 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 723 | 1975 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 724 | 1975 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 785 | 1975 | failed after reaching orbit | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 860 | 1976 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 861 | 1976 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 952 | 1977 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 954 | 1977 | Exploded on re-entry 1978 (over Canada) | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1176 | 1980 | 11788/11971 Earth orbit 870–970 km | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1249 | 1981 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 1266 | 1981 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 1299 | 1981 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 1402 | 1982 | Earth re-entry 1983 (South Atlantic) | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1372 | 1982 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 1365 | 1982 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 1412 | 1982 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 1461 | 1983 | Earth orbit, exploded | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [3] | |
| Kosmos 1597 | 1984 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 1607 | 1984 | High orbited 1985 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1670 | 1985 | High orbited 1985 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1677 | 1985 | High orbited 1985 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1736 | 1986 | High orbited 1986 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1771 | 1986 | High orbited 1986 | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1900 | 1987 | Earth orbit, 454 mile altitude | BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12][11] | |
| Kosmos 1860 | 1987 | Fission reactor BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | ||
| Kosmos 1932 | 1988 | Earth orbit 800–900 km | fission reactor BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1682 | 1985 | High orbited 1986 | fission reactor BES-5 | 235U | 2 kWe | [12] | |
| Kosmos 1818 (RORSAT) | 1987 | Destroyed in high Earth orbit | fission reactor Topaz-I | 235U | 5 kWe | [13] | |
| Kosmos 1867 (RORSAT) | 1987 | Parked in high Earth orbit | fission reactor Topaz-I | 235U | 5 kWe | [14] | |
| Lunokhod 201 | 1969-02-19 | Rocket exploded at launch, radioactive material from RHU spread over Russia | RHU | 210Po | [15] | ||
| Lunokhod 1 | 1970 | Lunar surface | RHU | 210Po | [15] | ||
| Lunokhod 2 | 1973 | Lunar surface | RHU | 210Po | [15] | ||
| Mars 96 | 1996 | Launch failure, entered Pacific Ocean | RHU (4) | 238Pu | [15] | ||
| Chang'e 3 and Yutu | 2013 | Lunar surface | several RHU's, RTG (??) (some electricity provided by solar panels) | 238Pu | [16] | ||
| Chandrayaan-3 | 2023 | Lunar orbit | RHU | 241Am | 2 Wt | [18] |
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Categories: [Derelict satellites orbiting Earth] [Nuclear power in space] [Nuclear reactors]