Production of {sup 238}PuO{sub 2} heat sources for the Cassini mission

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.54910· OSTI ID:664627

George, T G; Foltyn, E M ^[1]

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1. Actinide Ceramics, NMT-9, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS-E502, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

NASA{close_quote}s Cassini mission to Saturn, scheduled to launch in October, 1997, is perhaps the most ambitious interplanetary explorer ever constructed. Electric power for the spacecraft{close_quote}s science instruments and on-board computers will be provided by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) powered by 216 {sup 238}PuO{sub 2}-fueled General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) capsules. In addition, critical equipment and instruments on the spacecraft and Huygens probe will be warmed by 128 Light-Weight Radioisotope Heater Units (LWRHUs). Fabrication and assembly of the GPHS capsules and LWRHU heat sources was performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) between January 1994 and September 1996. During this production campaign, LANL pressed and sintered 315 GPHS fuel pellets and 181 LWRHU pellets. By October 1996, NMT-9 had delivered a total of 235 GPHS capsules to EG&G Mound Applied Technologies (EG&G MAT) in Miamisburg, Ohio. EG&G MAT conditioned the capsules for use, loaded the capsules into the Cassini RTGs, tested the RTGs, and coordinated transportation to Kennedy Space Center (KSC). LANL also fabricated and assembled a total of 180 LWRHUs. The LWRHUs required for the Cassini spacecraft were shipped to KSC in mid-1997. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 664627
• Report Number(s): CONF-980103-; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 98:011584
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 420, Issue 1; Conference: Space technology and applications international forum, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 25-29 Jan 1998; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1998
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCE TECHNOLOGY
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES
PLANNING
PRODUCTION
PERSONNEL
LICENSES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems