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Deep space exploration requires a reliable and efficient power source. On the outer fringes of the Solar System and beyond, the sun looks no more than any other star in the night sky. What this means is that solar energy can no longer be effectively used for power unless the spacecraft has a very huge solar panel. Spacecraft have till now relied on thermocouple devices, radioactive isotopes or other sources for power generation. One power source that is being considered for future space missions is the Alkali Metal Thermal-to-Electric Converter (AMTEC).