PSJC #95 September 21 2011

Laura Seward

Plutonium for Peaceful Planetary Purposes

We will discuss the conclusions of the National Research Council of the National Academies report on the use of Plutonium-238 in NASA exploration missions, including Mars Science Laboratory, New Horizons, and Cassini. We will also discuss the pressing need to restart the production of this power source for future planetary missions. The report is entitled Radioisotope Power Systems: An Imperative for Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Space Exploration, published in 2009.