Need to send a rover to Mars? Stop by a Soviet nuclear weapons plant to borrow a cup of plutonium.
I'm as happy as anyone that the Curiosity rover got to Mars; it's hard not to root for all those NASA geeks in their blue polo shirts. But before you get all American and apple pie about the achievement, there's something you should know: Curiosity runs on plutonium from a Soviet-era nuclear weapons plant.
Take a look at the back of Curiosity. Other rovers have solar panels, but Curiosity doesn't. Instead, there's a little white thing that looks cute, almost like a tail. Inside are eight boxes filled with pellets of nuclear fuel. This stuff is hot, so hot that the boxes glow bright red, and will glow for years to come. Think of it as nuclear charcoal. The fuel will keep the rover toasty on cold Martian nights and supply it with electricity.
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Mars rover Curiosity: its plutonium power comes courtesy of Soviet nukes. - Slate Magazine
I'm as happy as anyone that the Curiosity rover got to Mars; it's hard not to root for all those NASA geeks in their blue polo shirts. But before you get all American and apple pie about the achievement, there's something you should know: Curiosity runs on plutonium from a Soviet-era nuclear weapons plant.
Take a look at the back of Curiosity. Other rovers have solar panels, but Curiosity doesn't. Instead, there's a little white thing that looks cute, almost like a tail. Inside are eight boxes filled with pellets of nuclear fuel. This stuff is hot, so hot that the boxes glow bright red, and will glow for years to come. Think of it as nuclear charcoal. The fuel will keep the rover toasty on cold Martian nights and supply it with electricity.
more
Mars rover Curiosity: its plutonium power comes courtesy of Soviet nukes. - Slate Magazine