Pluto Mission Comes With Slight Risk of Plutonium Release
A Florida Today article by Todd Halvorson, via USA Today, reports that:
NASA plans to stage the world's first mission to Pluto next month, launching a plutonium-powered spacecraft on an Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Destined to explore the icy edges of the solar system, the probe is equipped with a generator that will convert heat from the decay of 24 pounds of plutonium into electricity to heat and run the spacecraft systems.
Government studies show that the mission poses more danger to Central Florida than a typical rocket launch. So much so, in fact, that White House approval — which is expected early next year — is required to give the go-ahead for launch.
posted by Fergie @ 12/05/2005 08:43:00 AM
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