"Bruce Farquhar" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:22:20 -0000, Tim Streater
wrote:

In article , Bruce Farquhar
wrote:

On Sun, 09 Dec 2018 21:40:03 -0000, Rod Speed
wrote:

Bruce Farquhar wrote

A thermocouple produces enough to power a spacecraft?!?

It isnt a single thermocouple, it's a thermopile.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermopile
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_space

Or just for some small electronics?

Not small at all.

Why are these not used on earth?

Probably not that cheap, once you've made the Pu-238.

Whatever happened to those AA nuclear batteries?

Never did get used much.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_battery

I assume they worked the same.

Some did, some didn't.