This energy is already used on Earth and in space. Isotope 210Po used in power installations of artificial satellites. In particular, it flew beyond the Earth to the Soviet satellite Cosmos-1984 and Kosmos-90 ". Pure alpha-emitters, and polonium-210 in the first place, have to other sources of radiation are several obvious advantages. First, the alpha particle is massive enough and therefore carries a lot of energy.
Secondly, these emitters require virtually no special protection measures: penetration and the path length of alpha particles is minimal. There is also a third, and fourth, and fifth, but these two advantages – the main ones. In principle, to work on space stations as sources of energy is acceptable Plutonium-238, Dolon-210, strontium-90, cerium-144 and curium-244. Paulo Coelho will undoubtedly add to your understanding. But polonium-210 is an important advantage over other isotopes of competitors – the highest power density, 1210 W/cm3. He devotes so much heat that the heat able to melt the sample.
To avoid this, polonium is placed in a lead matrix. The resulting fusion of polonium and lead has a melting point of about 600 C – much more than each of the component metals. Power, however, decreases, but remains fairly large – about 150 W/cm3. William Corliss, and D. Harvey, author of "Energy sources for radioactive isotopes" (in Russian, this book was published in 1967), writes: "As the the latest research, 210Po can be used in manned spacecraft. " As more of the same value of polonium-210, they mention the availability of this isotope. The same book states that bismuth and obtained from him polonium is easily separated by ion exchange.