Audit Report: IG-0540

January 14, 2002

Advanced Radioisotope Power Systems Program

The Department of Energy's Advanced Radioisotope Power Systems (ARPS) program maintains the sole national capability to produce radioisotope power systems for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense (DOD). The Department's policy is to pay only the cost of maintaining the capability to produce the power systems, and to recover mission-specific development and hardware costs from NASA and DOD. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2001, ARPS program funding included $31.8 million from the Department, $20 million from NASA, and $4.7 million from DOD.