The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a contract to Belgian company Tractebel to evaluate the possibility of producing plutonium-238 (Pu-238) for use in space exploration. Separately, US company X-energy, working as part of a General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) team, is to develop key fuel fabrication processes in support of a first-of-a-kind rocket powered by nuclear thermal propulsion under a contract awarded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Radioisotope
power sources - sometimes referred to as nuclear batteries - fueled with Pu-238
have been used in space missions since the early 1960s. Radioisotope
thermoelectric generators and radioisotope heater units can provide power and
heat continuously over long, deep space missions. Pu-238 is made by irradiating
neptunium-237, recovered from research reactor fuel or special targets, in
research reactors; but at present only Russia
and the USA have the capability to produce the isotope.
Brieuc
Spindler, Tractebel's Product Owner - Space, said the study will contribute to
making European space exploration more independent. "With a team of
multidisciplinary experts, we will analyze the capability of Europe to develop
its own supply chain of plutonium 238," he said. He added that "It
has the best technical characteristics for space applications, but has never
been developed in Europe. It is our first contract with ESA, and what we hope
marks the beginning of a fruitful cooperation.”
To
read more please visit:
https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/European-and-US-nuclear-companies-contribute-to-sp
Source: world nuclear news