So much so, in fact, that we couldn't fit it all in one episode! In Part 1 of our two-part series on NASA's Mars 2020 mission, Direct Current follows the origins of the Mars Perseverance Rover’s nuclear-fueled power source on its incredible seven-year, 5,000-mile journey from the lab to the launch pad. Read on for more about the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) — the long-lasting nuclear battery with an even longer name.
Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators are ideal for space missions because they are compact, durable and reliable, providing continuous power over long periods of time. The Department of Energy provides radioisotope power systems to NASA for civil space applications. The MMRTG for the Mars 2020 mission was fueled and tested at the DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory. This spring it was shipped directly from INL to the launch site at Kennedy Space Center Florida for integration into the rover.
Plutonium-238 is critical to deep space exploration. The special isotope has powered missions that have enabled us to explore the atmosphere of Saturn, see the heart of Pluto and traverse the surface of Mars. But what if missions like those were no longer possible? That's a question NASA faced not so long ago as the U.S. was in short supply of the isotope. The decision was made to restart Pu-238 production and Oak Ridge National Laboratory was the place to do it. In this episode of ORNL's podcast "The Sound of Science," you'll hear from the manager of the plutonium program, as well as from the team that makes the cladding to hold the fuel.
Watch a video message from Under Secretary of Science Paul Dabbar as he shares how staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory helped power the Mars Perseverance Rover, and how you can help through NASA’s AI for Mars website.
Read on ......
Part 2 discusses the camera system on the way to Mars, see:
https://www.energy.gov/podcasts/direct-current-energygov-podcast/mars-2020-part-2-supercam-does-it-all
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