A Radioisotope Heating Units (RHU) used to maintain a spacecraft's operational temperatures

Nuclear energy keeps Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module going

Chandrayaan-3 has an untold success: The mission’s propulsion module now orbiting Moon is powered by nuclear technology. Confirming it to TOI on Monday, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty said he is happy that India’s nuclear sector could be part of such an important space mission. ISRO officials said the propulsion module is equipped with two radioisotope heating units (RHU) generating one watt designed and developed by BARC. RHUs keep the spacecraft at their operational temperatures.

Chandrayaan-3 has an untold success: The mission’s propulsion module now orbiting Moon is powered by nuclear technology.

Confirming it to TOI on Monday, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty said he is happy that India’s nuclear sector could be part of such an important space mission.

Isro officials said the propulsion module is equipped with two radioisotope heating units (RHU) generating one watte designed and developed by BARC.

RHUs keep the spacecraft at their operational temperatures.

Chandrayaan-3 project director P Veeramuthuvel on Sunday said ISRO may soon use nuclear resources to maintain instruments in future rovers. ISRO officials said that the RHUs could not be installed on Chandrayaan 3’sVikram lander and Pragyan rover because it would have increased their mass.

They were placed in the propulsion module for experimental and demonstration purposes. “They have been functioning flawlessly,” said an official. “It’s the first major joint project of ISRO and BARC.”

Spacecraft which have used radioisotope heater units include Nasa’s Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter, Cassini to Saturn and Voyagers-1 and 3.