Plutonium Shortage Could Stall Space Exploration

NPR ^ | 28 Sep 2009 | Nell Greenfieldboyce

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

[Frantzie]

The country is bankrupt and NASA is talking about going to Pluto.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

They are already on their way. The Pluto Express.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto_Kuiper_Express

[Jack Hammer]

‘Plutonium Shortage Could Stall Space Exploration’

Worse still, a surplus of Green Kryptonite has sent crime rates soaring.

[Frantzie]

They will get there right about the time the economy goes into it’s final dying gasp like a super nova to black hole.

Black hole? That’s racist!

[Brugmansian]

" . . . if you keep using material and you have a finite supply, eventually you run out . . ." says Ralph McNutt, a planetary scientist.

These eggheads think they know everything.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Why not use the Plutonium “pits” from nuclear warheads being “retired”?

[umgud]

But it's unclear whether Congress will provide the $30 million that the administration requested earlier this year for the Department of Energy to get a new program going.

They should have partnered with ACORN. It would have been easier to get the cash.

[This_far]

Sen John Testor has a bill to make more land in MT off limits under the guise of protection.

Some residents are saying that there are minerals and energy that can be mined for the country (jobs, energy independence and security).

Government Motors (ne GM) ended their contract with a Montana mining company for metals used in catalytic converters. They chose to buy from cheaper foreign sources.

The Pres__ent who said he wouldn’t get involved, is allowing the Senate to call in GuvMot to be asked why they aren’t buying more expensive minerals from Montana!

Land with precious metals, oil and coal is off limits for even exploration (heck, we can’t even cut down bark beetle infested trees to prevent fires.)

[Some will recall that land allowed to be explored for oil, will not be allowed to have that oil pumped]

[newguy357]

Don’t see any reason we need to produce our own. We can always buy from Iran.

[Domangart]

238 not 239. There might be some if they repross used fuel rods.

[Brugmansian]

Iran might deliver it for free.

[freedumb2003]

>>Worse still, a surplus of Green Kryptonite has sent crime rates soaring.<<

Worse still, the Prime Directive keeps us from using Dilithium.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree with that. There are plenty of them sitting in pools and caskets around the country.

[Captain Beyond]

bump

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I do not understand why NASA did not forsee this.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Just a coincidence here, surely The Zero would never strand technology and energy sources out in the cold like this, would he? He would never suspend technology and exloration just because it needed plutonium, would he?

/sarchasm

[This_far]

...surely The Zero would never strand technology and energy sources...

Sarc noted. But what does it matter to him?

I don't think he has even seen the vast expanse of this country. Consider the 'road trip' vacations that he has recently taken (within our countries borders... not to Alaska though?)

As an aside, I'll note that John F Kerry (at least) had a cookie business in his resume. (he sold out to his partner)

[TalonDJ]

I do not understand why NASA did not forsee this.

Of course they saw it coming. It is not like they could do anything about it. No senators were going to come to their aid (and that is what it will take) until they were nearly out. And there really aren't good alternatives. RTGs are the way to go in a deep space probe.