Pingie: HTTP:: NASA Is Running Low on Plutonium 238 Fuel

HTTP:: NASA Is Running Low on Plutonium 238 Fuel
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The American space agency NASA usually makes use of solar panels for its exploration missions in the solar system, such as for instance on Mars, the Moon, Saturn, Mercury, Vesta, Ceres, and so on. But these explorations take place in the relative vicinity of the Sun, so the amount of electricity produced by the solar panels is sufficient for the small spacecraft. In the case of deep-space missions, however, things are a bit different. Freezing temperatures and the lack of sunlight mean that probes need to be fueled by plutonium-238, whose heat is converted into electricity aboard the probes. The latest, long-duration mission to Pluto, for instance, is powered by an ion thruster, but the technology is still relatively new and expensive to implement. At this point, plutonium-238 remains the only feasible option that combines the best of life span and costs. But, because the chemical isotope has been so extensively used, NASA is currently reaching the limits of its supplies. !
This type of plutonium is not to be mistaken for plutonium-239, which is the variety used to manufacture nuclear weapons. According to a new NPR report, the situation is growing increasingly critical, and its remedy lies with the Congress. If representatives approve the $30 million required to restart plutonium-238 production, then things ...
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http://news.softpedia.com/news/NASA-Is-Running-Low-on-Plutonium-238-Fuel-123132.shtml
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