This is a list of spacecraft powered by non-rechargeable batteries. While most spacecraft are powered by longer-lasting power sources such as
solar cell
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon. s or
radioisotope thermoelectric generator
A radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG, RITEG), sometimes referred to as a radioisotope power system (RPS), is a type of nuclear battery that uses an array of thermocouples to convert the heat released by the decay of a suitable radioacti ...
s, which can provide power for years to decades, some have been powered by
primary (non-rechargeable) electrochemical cells, which provide runtimes of minutes to months. This is typically done only on spacecraft that are planned to operate for only a short time, even if they must travel for a long time before being activated. Some spacecraft classes where this applies are
atmospheric probes, short-duration
landers
Landers may refer to:
People
* Landers (surname), a list of people surnamed Landers (including fictional people)
Places
* Landers, California, United States
* Landers Peaks, group of peaks in the northern portion of Alexander Island, Antarct ...
, and
technology demonstrators. Some early Earth satellites, such as the first
Sputnik and
Explorer
Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians.
Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
satellites, also used primary batteries, before solar panels were widely adopted.
Uncrewed
Primary power comes from a chemical battery, but a secondary system exists. For example, Luna 9 ran out of power after three days.
[
]
Crewed
*early Gemini
Gemini may refer to:
Space
* Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
** Gemini in Chinese astronomy
* Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program
* Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Norther ...
with on silver-zinc (Ag-Zn), later hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells
* Mercury
*Apollo Lunar Lander, Ag-ZnBall, et al. - Planetary Landers and Entry Probes - Page 102
/ref>
*Soyuz 7K-T
The second generation of the Soyuz spacecraft, the ''Soyuz 7K-T'', comprised Soyuz 12 through Soyuz 40 (1973-1981). In the wake of the Soyuz 11 tragedy, the spacecraft was redesigned to accommodate two cosmonauts who would wear pressure ...
*Vostok
*Voskhod
See also
* Lists of spacecraft
*Solar panels on spacecraft
Spacecraft operating in the inner Solar System usually rely on the use of power electronics-managed photovoltaic solar panels to derive electricity from sunlight. Outside the orbit of Jupiter, solar radiation is too weak to produce sufficient pow ...
*List of passive satellites
List of passive satellites is a listing of inert or mostly inert satellites, mainly of the Earth. This includes various reflector type satellites typically used for geodesy and atmospheric measurements.
Passive satellites
*Calsphere
**Calspher ...
*Batteries in space
Batteries are used on spacecraft as a means of power storage. Primary batteries contain all their usable energy when assembled and can only be discharged. Secondary batteries can be recharged from some other energy source, such as solar panels o ...
References
External links
Lithium-Sulfix Dioxide Batteries on Mars RoversPlanetary Landers and Entry Probes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spacecraft powered by non-rechargeable batteries
Non-rechargeable batteries
Battery (electricity)