What Powers a Spacecraft?
A spacecraft generally gets its energy from at least one of three power sources: the Sun, batteries or unstable atoms. To choose the best type of power for a spacecraft, engineers consider where it is traveling, what it plans to do there and how long it will need to work.
Spacecraft have instruments that help them take pictures and collect information in space. But they need electricity to power those instruments and send the information back to Earth.
Where does the power come from?
The answer is that it depends on the mission. To choose the best power system for a spacecraft, engineers have to think about several things. Some factors they consider are: where the spacecraft is traveling, what it plans to do there and how long it will need to work.
One source of power is the Sun.
However, solar power doesn’t work for all spacecraft. One reason is that as spacecraft travel farther from the Sun, solar power becomes less efficient. Solar-powered explorers may also be limited by a planet’s weather and seasons, and harsh radiation (a type of energy). And they might not be able to explore dark, dusty environments, such as caves on the Moon.
When solar power won’t work, spacecraft have to get their power another way. So, scientists developed other ways that these spacecraft can get power. One way is to simply use batteries that can store power for a spacecraft to use later.
