NASA SEEKS TO INVESTIGATE DYNAMIC POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES FOR RADIOISOTOPE POWER SYSTEMS (RPS). THE CURRENT RPS. THE MULTI-MISSION RADIOTHERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR (MMRTG), PRODUCES ~110 WE AT A CONVERSION EFFICIENCY OF 6%. NASA DESIRES HIGHER CONVERSION EFFICIENCY RPS OPTIONS THAT ARE RELIABLE AND ROBUST WITH LONG DESIGN LIFE. DYNAMIC CONVERSION METHODS OFFER THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGHER CONVERSION EFFICIENCIES, BUT HAVE YET TO BE DEMONSTRATED IN A FLIGHT APPLICATION. EXAMPLES OF DYNAMIC CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES INCLUDE BRAYTON, STIRLING, AND RANKINE CYCLE MACHINES. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM ELEMENT IS TO INVESTIGATE DYNAMIC CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS SUITABLE FOR USE IN A POWER SYSTEM THAT UTILIZES GENERAL PURPOSE HEAT SOURCE (GPHS) STEP 2 MODULES. THE INTENT IS TO GATHER DATA ON CANDIDATE DYNAMIC CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES TO FILL KNOWLEDGE GAPS, SUPPORT ASSESSMENTS OF DYNAMIC CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES, AND ELICIT GENERATOR REQUIREMENTS. THE FOCUS OF THIS PROGRAM ELEMENT IS ON THE CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY ITSELF, THE TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED TO OPERATE THE CONVERTOR (I.E. CONTROLLERS), AND THE THERMAL MANAGEMENT NECESSARY TO OPERATE THE CONVERTORS. NASA WILL LEAD THIS CONVERTOR TECHNOLOGY INVESTIGATION WHILE COLLABORATING WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE). ONCE FLIGHT DEVELOPMENT RISKS FOR CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES ARE UNDERSTOOD AND GENERATOR DEVELOPMENT IS DEEMED PRACTICAL, NASA AND DOE WILL DETERMINE THE PATH FORWARD FOR DOE'S DEVELOPMENT OF A DYNAMIC RPS FOR FLIGHT. AS SUCH, THE FLIGHT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DYNAMIC RPS ARE NOT FINALIZED AND THIS WORK WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE FINAL SET OF SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.