How do RTG rover concepts power NASA's lunar surface missions?

RTG rovers use heat from radioactive rocks to keep moving on the Moon, like how a blanket keeps you warm at night.

Imagine you have a special kind of battery that never stops giving energy, not even when it’s cold or dark. That's what radioisotope thermoelectric generators, or RTGs, are like. They use tiny rocks filled with a radioactive material called plutonium-238. These rocks slowly break down over time and give off heat.

This heat is used to power the rover, kind of like how a hot water bottle warms up your bed. The rover uses this energy to move, take pictures, and do science experiments, even when there's no sunlight on the Moon.

• The radioactive rocks get hot as they break down.
• This heat is used to create electricity, like a mini power plant inside the rover.
• The electricity powers all the tools and wheels of the rover, day and night.

Because the rocks give off heat for many years, RTGs can keep working for a long time. That makes them perfect for long missions on the Moon or even other planets.