Re:Photo shows Mars rover descent
by jlgreco on Monday August 06, 2012 @01:31PM
(#4346172)
Nuclear batteries are unlike what we normally think of as "nuclear reactors". They both use heat, but nuclear batteries do not bring the fuel to criticality (in other words, no chain reaction). This limits their power output obviously, but they are pretty damn reliable in return.
The one in Curiosity seems to have 5kg of Plutonium 238. I don't know what kind of containment it has to protect it during launch, but I assume it is fairly substantial. Nuclear batteries are not something NASA is new to, they have used them many times before, including in the Voyager probes.
Interestingly, nuclear reactors have been put into space too, by both the US and the Soviets. There have been incidents but nothing that I would really call a disaster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RORSAT
The one in Curiosity seems to have 5kg of Plutonium 238. I don't know what kind of containment it has to protect it during launch, but I assume it is fairly substantial. Nuclear batteries are not something NASA is new to, they have used them many times before, including in the Voyager probes.
Interestingly, nuclear reactors have been put into space too, by both the US and the Soviets. There have been incidents but nothing that I would really call a disaster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RORSAT