Table I. Summary of Space Nuclear Power Systems Launched by the United States Power Source1 Spacecraft Mission type Launch date Status SNAP-3B7 TRANSIT 4A Navigational 29 June 1961 RTG operated for 15 years. Satellite now shutdown but operational. SNAP-3B8 TRANSIT 4B Navigational 15 Nov. 1961 RTG operated for 9 years. Satellite operation was intermittent after 1962 high-altitude nuclear test. Last reported signal in 1971. SNAP-9A TRANSIT 5-BN-l Navigational 28 Sept. 1963 RTG operated as planned. Non-RTG electrical problems on satellite caused satellite to fail after 9 months. SNAP-9A TRANSIT 5-BN-2 Navigational 5 Dec. 1963 RTG operated for over 6 years. Satellite lost navigational capability after 1.5 years. SNAP-9A TRANSIT 5-BN-3 Navigational 21 April 1964 RTG operated as planned. Mission was aborted because of launch vehicle failure. SNAP-10A (Reactor) Snapshot Experimental 3 April 1965 Reactor operated successfully as planned. Satellite shutdown reactor after 43 days. SNAP-19B2 Nimbus-B-1 Meteorological 18 May 1968 RTGs operated as planned. Mission was aborted because of range safety destruct. RTGs recovered. SNAP-19B3 Nimbus III Meteorological 14 April 1969 RTGs operated for over 2.5 years (no data taken after that). SNAP-27 Apollo 12 Lunar 14 Nov. 1969 RTG operated for about 8 years (until station was shutdown). SNAP-27 Apollo 13 Lunar 11 April 1970 Mission aborted on way to moon. Heat source returned to South Pacific Ocean. SNAP-27 Apollo 14 Lunar 31 Jan. 1971 RTG operated for about 6.5 years (until station was shutdown). SNAP-27 Apollo 15 Lunar 26 July 1971 RTG operated for over 6 years (until station was shutdown). SNAP-19 Pioneer 10 Planetary 2 Mar. 1972 RTGs still operating. Spacecraft successfully operated to Jupiter and is now beyond orbit of Pluto. SNAP-27 Apollo 16 Lunar 16 April 1972 RTG operated for about 5.5 years (until station was shutdown). Transit-RTG ‘TRANSIT' (TRIAD-01-1X) Navigational 2 Sept. 1972 RTG still operating. SNAP-27 Apollo 17 Lunar 7 Dec. 1972 RTG operated for almost 5 years (until station was shutdown). SNAP-19 Pioneer 11 Plantery 5 April 1973 RTGs still operating. Spacecraft successfully operated to Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond. SNAP-19 Viking 1 Mars 20 Aug. 1975 RTGs operated for over 6 years (until lander was shutdown). SNAP-19 Viking 2 Mars 9 Sept. 1975 RTGs operated for over 4 years until relay link was lost. MHW-RTG LES 8 Communications 14 Mar. 1976 RTGs still operating. MHW-RTG LES 9 Communications 14 Mar. 1976 RTGs still operating. MHW-RTG Voyager 2 Planetary 20 Aug. 1977 RTGs still operating. Spacecraft successfully operated to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and beyond. MHW-RTG Voyager 1 Planetary 5 Sept. 1977 RTGs still operating. Spacecraft successfully operated to Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond. 1 SNAP stands for Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power. All odd-numbered SNAP power plants use radioisotope fuel. Even-numbered SNAP power plants have nuclear fission reactors as a source of heat. MHW-RTG stands for the Multihundred Watt Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator.
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