NASA & DOE will query public on future MMRTG and SRG's to service power for future solar system planetary missions and moons thereof. FPEIS and ROD (Record of Decision) is available [ here ].
A key advantage of using RPS is the ability to operate continuously, both futher away from and closer to the Sun than other space power technologies, such as batteries, solar arrays and fuel cells. They are long-lived, rugged, compact reliable and relatively insensitive to radiation and other enviro. effects. These systems are more effective that GPHS-RTG which are designed to operate unsealed in space vacuum, and degrades in most atmospheres. With an appropriate design, such as the SNAP-19 RTG performed for the Viking missions, newer RTG's will have a greater capacity than older GPHS-RTG's.