FIELD: nuclear power engineering, in particular, space power plants which directly convert heat to electric power. SUBSTANCE: method involves running admission tests after power plant supply by means of heating it in vacuum using testing heat sources up to temperature levels which correspond to real temperature of device operations in space. Then main modes and characteristics which assess nuclear plant operations are measured for these temperature level. This results in possibility to judge about capability of nuclear plant to operate in space. Then device is cooled down to normal temperature, is heated again by means of rapid increase in heat power which varies linearly. Then device is kept under this level for 50-100 hours, main modes and characteristics are detected again and compared to previous ones. Their matching results in possibility to judge about capability of nuclear plant to operate in space. After this nuclear plant is cooled again. EFFECT: increased reliability.
