Re:NASA Revives Plan to Put Nuclear Reactors on Mars
by dredmorbius on Wednesday July 05, 2017 @09:45AM
(#14702317)
There are laws of nature involved. But also of men, nations, and war.
Pu-238 isn't found in nature, but has to be synthesized. The precursor material, U-238 is the most abundant form of Uranium, which is convenient. It's also produce via neptunium-237.
The real complication is that the nuclear synthesis processes are also those used for nuclear weapons production, which makes for some serious complications.
Re:NASA Revives Plan to Put Nuclear Reactors on Mars
by avar on Wednesday July 05, 2017 @10:48AM
(#14702794)
Those complications only apply to nations that don't have a permanent seat on the UN security council. There are no treaty obligations preventing the US or Russia from making Pu-238.
Pu-238 isn't found in nature, but has to be synthesized. The precursor material, U-238 is the most abundant form of Uranium, which is convenient. It's also produce via neptunium-237.
The real complication is that the nuclear synthesis processes are also those used for nuclear weapons production, which makes for some serious complications.