Close-up observations of Pluto would be impossible without the use of generators that rely on cancer-causing plutonium to produce electricity and heat for New Horizons' instrumentation. Pluto is much ...
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Discovery News After a 25-year hiatus, the United States has produced its first non-weapons-grade plutonium needed to power space probes ...
WASHINGTON — NASA is facing the prospect of trying to explore deep space without the aid of the long-lasting nuclear batteries it has relied upon for decades to send spacecraft to destinations where ...
SEATTLE — New batches of plutonium-238 may become available to NASA starting in 2017, perhaps preventing feared shortages of this vital spacecraft power source. The United States has not produced ...