NASA’s Plutonium Problem Could End Deep-Space Exploration, Wired “The country’s scientific stockpile has dwindled to around 36 pounds. To put that in perspective, the battery that powers NASA’s Curiosity rover, which is currently studying the surface of Mars, contains roughly 10 pounds of plutonium, and what’s left has already been spoken for and then some. The implications for space exploration are dire: No more plutonium-238 means not exploring perhaps 99 […]

Space Quarterly Magazine September 2012 Table of Contents, SpaceRef Marc’s note: The September 2012 edition of Space Quarterly Magazine is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 4. There many highlights to the issue including an update on the Israeli and Iranian space programs, an interview with Jim Armor of ATK, Orbital Antares takes flight, the Plutonium shortage and from Neil deGrasse Tyson why a healthy space program equals a […]

AAS email: Plutonium 238 Production: An Ongoing Issue for Washington “It is not often that a $30M issue in an appropriations bill gets a lot of attention. In fact, it is not uncommon to hear Senate staff state that they have $100M round off errors, but recent language in Congressional legislation appropriating funds of this magnitude can have a direct, negative impact on the long-term success of US planetary science […]