A Research Program Nuclear Energy Conversion [abstract].
An interesting research abstract which dangles the promise of 40% efficient direct energy conversion. Question is: what to do with the rest of the energy? Gets tricky in space. However space-probes using smaller amounts of Pu-238 for the same amount of power is a laudable goal, and with 40% efficiency space-probes would be able to use plasma propulsion for higher delta-vee missions.
A few years ago the ESA proposed a Pluto Orbiter…
Pluto Orbiter Mission at arXiv
…which would also look for more data on the Pioneer Anomaly. The outward bound leg would take 18 years (2016-2034) which is an awfully long time. New Horizons will get there in half the time, but can’t stop unfortunately.
Personally I think an Orbiter to Pluto is more interesting than coasting for years looking for signs of the Pioneer Anomaly (which recently has had cold-water poured on it after data reanalysis) so instead of coasting I’d like to see a new POP design with beefier RTGs using Direct Conversion. Might get the trip time down to ~9 years then.