Radioisotope Power Systems An Imperative for Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Space Exploration (2009) / Chapter Skim
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3 Plutonium-238 Supply
3 Plutonium-238 Supply
Pages 14-23
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From page 14... ...
will be a total of approximately 30 kg of 238Pu available for NASA, including On April 29, 2008, the NASA administrator sent a letter the 238Pu that has already been used to fuel the RPS for the Mars Science Laboratory, whose launch date has been postponed from 2009 to 2011. to the secretary of energy with an estimate of NASA's future 14
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From page 15... ...
238Pu (kg) Mission Launch Date Watts Type of Radioisotope Power System 3.5 Mars Science Laboratory 2009a 100 MMRTG 1.8 Discovery 12/Scout 2014 250 ASRG 24.6 Outer Planets Flagship 1 2017 600-850 MMRTG 3.5 Discovery 14 2020 500 ASRG 5.3 New Frontiers 4 2021 800 ASRG 14 Pressurized Rover 1 2022 2000 High-performance SRGb 14 ATHLETE Rover 2024 2000 High-performance SRG 1.8-5.3 New Frontiers 5 2026 250-800 ASRG 3.5 Discovery 16 2026 500 ASRG 14 Pressurized Rover 2 2026 2000 High-performance SRG 5.3-6.2 Outer Planets Flagship 2 2027 700-850 ASRG 14 Pressurized Rover 3 2028 2000 High-performance SRG 105-110 Total demand for 238Pu, 2009-2028 (kg)
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From page 16... ...
would ship There are also many other usable positions in the ATR extracted 238Pu to Los Alamos National Laboratory for where 237Np targets could be irradiated, although the outer encapsulation in fuel pellets. positions have neutron and gamma fields that are an order of magnitude lower than the positions nearest the center of the core. If 237Np targets are placed in all of the core positions except for the six flux traps that are dedicated to Naval Reactors, ATR is thought capable of creating up to 4.6 kg of 238Pu per year using proven, cylindrical 237Np targets and The 238Pu encapsulation facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory are standard reactor operating conditions.
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From page 17... ...
facilities that included reestablishing 238Pu production in the United States. This EIS, entitled Final Programmatic Envi If both the ATR and HFIR reactors are used to support 238Pu ronmental Impact Statement for Accomplishing Expanded production, a yield of 5 kg/year could be achieved Civilian Nuclear Energy Research and Development and without displacing the primary customers of either facility, Isotope Production Missions in the United States, Including and 238Pu production would continue even when one of the the Role of the Fast Flux Test Facility, is commonly referred reactors is shut down for routine or corrective maintenance.
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From page 18... ...
. It would take years to develop, test, 238Pu production capabilities should consider the need for and validate the performance of new target designs in specific higher production rates, perhaps in concert with an assesslocations in a particular commercial reactor.
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62.4-66.8 Best-case estimate of 238Pu production needed −58.0 Total 238Pu production if work starts in FY 2010 4.4-8.8 Best-case estimate of 238Pu shortfall NOTE: ATHLETE, All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer; FY, fiscal year; OPF, Outer Planets Flagship. because solar power is not feasible for some of the missions baselined, even if the DOE starts work immediately to restore described in that report.
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However, the day of reckoning has arrived, and continued It has long been recognized that the United States would delays in taking action to reestablish domestic production need to restart domestic production of 238Pu in order to of 238Pu will exacerbate the effect of current shortfalls, as continue producing RPSs. The problem is that the United detailed in Figure 3.1.
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From page 21... ...
Space science and exploration missions and 12 RPS missions in the next 20 years, with 9 of those misspacecraft design vary according to the type of power sys- sions launched during the 9-year period ending in 2028.11 tems available for use. Mission planners require assurance, Current DOE facilities used for fueling, processing, testing, early in the planning process, that the 238Pu required by a and shipping RPS units -- as well as the DOE workforce prospective mission will be there when it is needed.
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From page 22... ...
NEPA Compliance FIGURE 3.2 Time line for reestablishing domestic 238Pu production and NASA mission planning, 2010 through 2028, assuming the Department of Energy starts work in fiscal year 2010. 15 RPS missions were launched during a period of 8½ years National Security Council Memorandum 25 (PD/NSC-25, from April 1969 through September 1977.
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From page 23... ...
2001. Record of Decision for the Programmatic Environmental apart, and even though both used the same launch system and I mpact Statement for Accomplishing Expanded Civilian Nuclear E nergy Research and Development and Isotope Production Missions the same RPS design, the Ulysses review was just as involved in the United States, Including the Role of the Fast Flux Test Facility.
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