High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Radioisotope heater units are small devices that provide heat through radioactive decay. They are similar to tiny radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG), and normally provide about one watt of heat each, derived from the decay of a few grams of plutonium 238, although other radioactive isotopes could be used. The heat produced by these RHUs is given off continuously for several decades, and theoretically (in nominal amounts) for up to a century or more. In spacecraft RHUs are necessary to heat critical components and subsystems. RHUs also reduce spacecraft complexity, by making heater subsystems unnecessary. By having as few heating subsystems as possible, the overall complexity of the spacecraft can be reduced.

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