agreements limit the use of nuclear systems to orbits above 600 km. The Pioneer missions to Jupiter and Saturn, the Viking landers on Mars and Voyager spacecraft to the gas giants in the outer solar system all used RTG's. Nuclear-electric reactors have been tested in orbit by the U.S.A, and used operationally by Russia in ocean surveillance satellites. These reactors may be an integral part of a lunar or Mars base and will be instrumental in the propulsion systems development for future missions to the outer solar system, for example in the exploration of Pluto. One topic that is as important as the power generation technology is the technology for power conditioning. These systems take the power produced by a solar array or reactor and process it and distribute it to the different subsystems of the space vehicle. These systems are very important because their masses can be comparable to the power system itself and may be a large fraction of the mass of the satellite or spacecraft. In summary, there are a variety of ways to satisfy space energy needs. Choosing the right system is based on amount and type of power needed, location, and especially optimization of mass.
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