[data-wrangler]

This would be an even bigger deal for remote spacecraft that rely on the heat from on-board nuclear reactors.

[wcoenen]

I think you are thinking about an RTG instead of an actual reactor.

[RL_Quine]

Some space craft have actually had full reactors on them believe it or not.

[wcoenen]

There were indeed real nuclear reactors with thermoelectrics being launched in the cold war.

However, thermoelectrics have an efficiency well below 10% (maybe a bit better with this improvement but not much). For that reason, future reactors in space will likely use Stirling engines instead.

[mechhacker]

Correct. Space stirling designs* (and tested engines) have been much more performant than the RTG designs

*I spent part of my career working on these devices and saw many of them running in labs

[nickpinkston]

Checks out - I didn't realize we actually did fission... in... spaaaaace!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_space#Fission...

[IshKebab]

Unlikely. Much easier to just connect the sensor to the main power supply via a wire.

[proaralyst]

RTGs[0] use the thermoelectric effect to generate electricity from the decay heat of radioactive isotopes. This new material would allow better power generation using RTGs.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_ge...