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A Government Accountability Office report has found that the U.S. is unlikely to produce enough Plutonium-238 for NASA missions about a decade from now. The isotope has been used in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) on missions such as Voyager, Cassini, and the Mars Science Laboratory:
Another GAO report notes: "[...], DOE currently maintains about 35 kilograms (kg) [77 pounds] of Pu-238 isotope designated for NASA missions, about half of which meets power specifications for spaceflight. However, given NASA's current plans for solar system exploration, this supply could be exhausted within the next decade."
[...] To address the plutonium problem, in 2011 NASA provided funding to the Department of Energy (DOE) to restart domestic production of the substance. The program is called the Pu-238 Supply Project. So far, the Project has produced ∼3.5 ounces (100 grams) of Pu-238. DOE identified an interim goal of producing 10 to 17.5 ounces (300 to 500 grams) of new Pu-238 per year by 2019. The goal is to produce 1.5 kilograms of new Pu-238 per year—considered full production—by 2023, at the earliest.
GAO is questioning the Supply Project's ability to meet its goal of producing 1.5 kilograms of new Pu-238 per year by 2026. For one thing, the oversight agency's interviews with DOE officials revealed that the agency hasn't perfected the chemical processing required to extract new Pu-238 from irradiated targets to meet production goals.
Only one DOE reactor is currently qualified to make Pu-238:
NASA's plutonium will be produced at two of these reactors, but only one of them is currently qualified to make Pu-238. GAO reported that initial samples of the new Pu-238 did not meet spaceflight specifications because of impurities. However, according to DOE, the samples can be blended and used with existing Pu-238.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by frojack on Friday October 20 2017, @07:33PM (6 children)
While you are pointing out NASA's faults, lets not forget that NASA is completely at the mercy of the DOE for things nuclear.
And decades of hysteria about all things nuclear had that agency keeping a low profile.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday October 20 2017, @07:46PM (4 children)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Friday October 20 2017, @09:21PM (3 children)
Plutonium238 has a half life of 88 years, if the stockpile is sufficient to support the next round of funding why make a fuss?
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday October 20 2017, @11:24PM (2 children)
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday October 21 2017, @01:27AM
NASA is a big organization, somewhere in that organization are lots of people who do think about the future.
At the top of that organization are political appointees, and the big calls, like this one, are in their hands.
I think this whole story is basically a difference of opinion between the people who think about the future and the people at the top who think first about securing the next round of funding.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 21 2017, @06:37AM
Yes, of course. Like: put that plutonium in a long term account and watch the compound interest in action.
After 88 year, the compound interest will get you with... half of your deposit.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Friday October 20 2017, @09:17PM
I worked with a company that had isotope issues 10 years ago... at that time, Canada was one potential answer, and it looks like they might be a Plutonium source too:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/covert-mission-plutonium-source-might-be-canada [ottawacitizen.com]
🌻🌻 [google.com]