Radioistope Power Systems (RPS) and Pu-238

Thread starter Astronuc
Start date Nov 23, 2023
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Nuclear engineering

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SUMMARY

The recent shipment of 0.5 kilograms of plutonium-238 from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Los Alamos National Laboratory is a pivotal advancement for NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS). This shipment is the largest since the domestic restart of plutonium-238 production and is crucial for achieving a production target of 1.5 kilograms per year by 2026. RPS utilize the decay of plutonium-238 to generate heat and electricity for spacecraft, enabling exploration of distant solar system destinations.

PREREQUISITES

Understanding of Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS)
Knowledge of plutonium-238 and its properties
Familiarity with spacecraft power generation techniques
Basic principles of nuclear decay and heat generation

NEXT STEPS

Research the operational principles of the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG)
Explore the production process and safety protocols for plutonium-238
Investigate the applications of Light Weight Radioisotope Heater Units (LWRHU) in space missions
Learn about the environmental and regulatory considerations surrounding nuclear materials in space exploration

USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, nuclear physicists, space mission planners, and anyone involved in the development and implementation of power systems for deep space exploration.

Nov 23, 2023

Astronuc

Staff Emeritus

Science Advisor

Gold Member

2025 Award

Radioisotope Power Systems - NASA One Step Closer to Fueling Space Missions with Plutonium-238
https://rps.nasa.gov/news/99/nasa-one-step-closer-to-fueling-space-missions-with-plutonium-238/

The recent shipment of heat source plutonium-238 from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory to its Los Alamos National Laboratory is a critical step toward fueling planned NASA missions with radioisotope power systems.

This shipment of 0.5 kilograms (a little over 1 pound) of new heat source plutonium oxide is the largest since the domestic restart of plutonium-238 production over a decade ago. It marks a significant milestone toward achieving the constant rate production average target of 1.5 kilograms per year by 2026.

Radioisotope power systems, or RPS, enable exploration of some of the deepest, darkest, and most distant destinations in the solar system and beyond. RPS use the natural decay of the radioisotope plutonium-238 to provide heat to a spacecraft in the form of a Light Weight Radioisotope Heater Unit (LWRHU), or heat and electricity in the form of a system such as the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG).