May 3, 2023 Quick space linksCourtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- SpaceX releases video taken from one fairing on its descent after release from Falcon Heavy
Quite cool. As the tweet notes, this “was the hottest and fastest [fairing return] we’ve ever attempted.”
- NASA whines it might not have enough plutonium for future deep space missions
Most of this is simply lobbying for more money. The shortage of plutonium will only matter if NASA’s planetary program gets a gigantic budget boost.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- SpaceX releases video taken from one fairing on its descent after release from Falcon Heavy
Quite cool. As the tweet notes, this “was the hottest and fastest [fairing return] we’ve ever attempted.”
- NASA whines it might not have enough plutonium for future deep space missions
Most of this is simply lobbying for more money. The shortage of plutonium will only matter if NASA’s planetary program gets a gigantic budget boost.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Haven’t NASA been complaining about this for decades? I’m sure I had a conversation on some forum ( here? ) Regarding the particular isotope that nasa uses, the lack of it, and the fact no one is producing it any more. It was long ago, and my memory is woozy, but I believe it is the same isotope used for medical practice. I am pretty sure since then we have had New horizons, and 2 Mars rovers at least powered by plutonium. That seems a long time to keep something with a relatively short half life in storage.
I’m also sure that someone here can refresh my memory with more details please… I find the very notion that the same element can have very different properties absolutely fascinating, even though I understand the physics.
( Bob, you didn’t include the link..)
On an absolute side note… My daughter today got the result that she aced an A+ on her biology exam… I just hope she doesn’t become a serial underachiever like Father… If not, she is destined to certainly become a scientist in one branch or another… I couldn’t be more proud :-)
Lee S: Link added. Sorry about that.
Lee,
Good questions. The half-life of the Pu-238 is about 88 years. This isotope is not weapons grade material, that is Pu-239. We are back to producing it at INL (Idaho National Laboratories), just not a great quantities. We also purchased Pu-238 from the Russians a few times.
To answer your question about medicine, they quit using the same material in pacemakers a few decades ago. They use Lithium batteries now, starting in the early 80’s.
Bob did talk about this shortage a couple years ago in this article.
@Jay, Thanks for the info and the link back to Bob’s post.
On a tangential note, it’s funny how as we all get older, over 5 years becomes “a couple of years” !! ;-)
Some quotes:
“NASA / DOD are producing Plutonium 238.
It’s a different isotope, great for RTGs, useless for nuclear reactors.”
“Plutonium 239
Great for nuclear reactors, useless for RTGs.”
https://thebulletin.org/2020/04/britain-has-139-tons-of-plutonium-thats-a-real-problem/