NASA's Plutonium Supply Dwindling; ESA To Help

astroengine writes "NASA's stockpile of the plutonium isotope Pu-238 is at a critical level, causing concern that there won't be enough fuel for future deep space missions. Pellets of Pu-238 are used inside radioisotope thermoelectric generators (or RTGs) to generate electricity for space probes traveling beyond the orbit of Mars — solar energy is too weak for solar arrays at these distances. Blocked by a contract dispute with Russia to supply Pu-238 and the US Department of Energy that has not been granted funds to produce more of the isotope, NASA lacks enough of the radioisotope to fuel the future joint NASA-ESA mission to Europa. However, the head of the European Space Agency has announced that they have plans to commence a new nuclear energy program to alleviate the situation."

Solution Right Here

[Saeed al-Sahaf]

I have a chili recipe that produces a - er - "slurry" so radioactively hot, it could be used to power spacecraft...

Solution to the problem is simple...

[OSDever]

They just need to construct additional pylons. Problem solved.

Re:Missed Opportunity?

[bsDaemon]

NASA is just holding out until they can buy what they need from Iran.

Re:Solution Right Here

[PPH]

You wouldn't by any chance have fed any of this chili to a black hole [slashdot.org]?

Civ IV

[Aeonite]

Cultural Victory? Nope.
Diplomatic Victory? Nope.
Space Race Victory? Nope.

That leaves Domination Victory and Conquest Victory.

Decisions, decisions.

Re:Recycle Nukes?

[JustOK]

Isn't there Pu around Uranus?

GREAT SCOTT!!!

[Reed Solomon]

We've got 5 more years, someone at NASA better be working on Mister Fusion. And hovercars.

Re:GREAT SCOTT!!!

[nebaz]

What happened? I remember in 1985, Plutonium was available in every corner drug store, but in 2010, it's a little hard to come by.

Re:Maybe the Muslims will help us out...

[Panaflex]

Don't care if it's off-topic, great reply man! Far too often we, as Americans, take our issues with policy and political leadership and smear it across whole swaths of culture and people. I take extreme issue with those that would cause others undue harm, especially terrorist and despot regimes, but for God's sake I don't hold their people/citizens entirely responsible unless they personally participate and prove that they deserve it.

 

Re:Recycle Nukes?

[camperdave]

But for some reason they don't mind turning on the lights in their home with electricity provided by coal fired generators that put more radioactive particulates in the air than any nuclear plant could.

Hippiecrits.

Brilliant!

Critical level

[Arancaytar]

NASA's stockpile of the plutonium isotope Pu-238 is at a critical level

They've got a critical amount of Pu-238 and they want more?