{"id":569341,"date":"2023-11-21T08:18:19","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T13:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=569341"},"modified":"2024-03-01T09:37:30","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T14:37:30","slug":"nasa-one-step-closer-to-fueling-space-missions-with-plutonium-238","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/glenn\/nasa-one-step-closer-to-fueling-space-missions-with-plutonium-238\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA One Step Closer to Fueling Space Missions with Plutonium-238"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"padding-top-5 padding-bottom-3 width-full maxw-full hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-intro\"><div class=\"width-full maxw-full article-header\"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2 width-full maxw-full\"><p class=\"label carbon-60 margin-0 margin-bottom-3 padding-0\">2 min read<\/p><h1 class=\"display-48 margin-bottom-2\">NASA One Step Closer to Fueling Space Missions with Plutonium-238<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1290\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?w=1290\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A close-up view of the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Power System on the back end of the Perseverance rover. The rover\u2019s tracks snake through the Martian sand toward a clay-colored mountain range.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png 1290w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?resize=300,223 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?resize=768,572 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?resize=1024,762 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?resize=400,298 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?resize=600,447 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?resize=900,670 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?resize=1200,893 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1290px) 100vw, 1290px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Close-up of NASA\u2019s Perseverance Mars rover as it looks back at its wheel tracks on March 17, 2022, the 381st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. \n\n<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\"><strong>Credit: NASA<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The recent shipment of heat source plutonium-238 from the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s (DOE\u2019s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory to its Los Alamos National Laboratory is a critical step toward fueling planned NASA missions with radioisotope power systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This shipment of 0.5 kilograms (a little over 1 pound) of new heat source plutonium oxide is the largest since the domestic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2015\/09\/f26\/Final_Startup_Plan_for_Plutonium238.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\">restart of plutonium-238 production<\/a> over a decade ago. It marks a significant milestone toward achieving the constant rate production average target of 1.5 kilograms per year by 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rps.nasa.gov\" rel=\"noopener\">Radioisotope power systems<\/a>, or RPS, enable exploration of some of the deepest, darkest, and most distant destinations in the solar system and beyond. RPS use the natural decay of the radioisotope plutonium-238 to provide heat to a spacecraft in the form of a Light Weight Radioisotope Heater Unit (LWRHU), or heat and electricity in the form of a system such as the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The DOE has produced the heat source plutonium oxide required to fuel the RPS for missions such as NASA\u2019s Mars 2020. The first spacecraft to benefit from this restart, the <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mars2020\/spacecraft\/rover\/electrical-power\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Perseverance<\/a> rover, carries some of the new plutonium produced by DOE. An MMRTG continuously provides the car-sized rover with heat and about 110 watts of electricity, enabling the exploration of the Martian surface and the gathering of soil samples for possible retrieval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNASA\u2019s Radioisotope Power Systems Program works in partnership with the Department of Energy to enable missions to operate in some of the most extreme environments in our solar system and interstellar space,\u201d said Carl Sandifer, RPS program manager at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For <a href=\"https:\/\/rps.nasa.gov\/news\/49\/after-60-years-nuclear-power-for-spaceflight-is-still-tried-and-true\/\" rel=\"noopener\">over sixty years<\/a>, the United States has employed radioisotope-based electrical power systems and heater units in space. Three dozen missions have explored space for decades using the reliable electricity and heat provided by RPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA and DOE are continuing their long-standing partnership to ensure the nation can enable future missions requiring radioisotopes for decades to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\t\t<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\"><h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/roman-space-telescope\/nasas-roman-mission-gets-cosmic-sneak-peek-from-supercomputers\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/roman-simulation-banner.jpg?resize=2000,1125 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">6 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">NASA\u2019s Roman Mission Gets Cosmic \u2018Sneak Peek\u2019 From Supercomputers<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/ed-stone-former-director-of-jpl-and-voyager-project-scientist-dies\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-ed-stone-portrait-voyager-model.webp?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-ed-stone-portrait-voyager-model.webp 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-ed-stone-portrait-voyager-model.webp?resize=300,219 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-ed-stone-portrait-voyager-model.webp?resize=768,561 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-ed-stone-portrait-voyager-model.webp?resize=1024,748 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-ed-stone-portrait-voyager-model.webp?resize=400,292 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-ed-stone-portrait-voyager-model.webp?resize=600,438 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-ed-stone-portrait-voyager-model.webp?resize=900,657 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">5 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Ed Stone, Former Director of JPL, Voyager Project Scientist, Dies<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/newsletters\/aerospace-frontiers\/nasa-glenn-visits-duluth-for-air-and-aviation-expo-steam-festival\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=900,675 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/grc-2024-cn-00014.jpg?resize=2000,1500 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">1 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">NASA Glenn Visits Duluth for Air and Aviation Expo, STEAM Festival\u00a0\u00a0<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The recent shipment of heat source plutonium-238 from the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s (DOE\u2019s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory to its Los Alamos National Laboratory is a critical step toward fueling planned NASA missions with radioisotope power systems. This shipment of 0.5 kilograms (a little over 1 pound) of new heat source plutonium oxide is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":354,"featured_media":569347,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2856,13162,2661,2828],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[3911,8598,13068],"coauthors":[12636,13067],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA One Step Closer to Fueling Space Missions with Plutonium-238","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/glenn\/nasa-one-step-closer-to-fueling-space-missions-with-plutonium-238\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/glenn\/nasa-one-step-closer-to-fueling-space-missions-with-plutonium-238\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Glenn Communications"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Kristin Jansen"}],"creator":["Glenn Communications","Kristin Jansen"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Technology","Technology for Space Travel","Glenn Research Center","Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS)"],"dateCreated":"2023-11-21T13:18:19Z","datePublished":"2023-11-21T13:18:19Z","dateModified":"2024-03-01T14:37:30Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA One Step Closer to Fueling Space Missions with Plutonium-238\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/glenn\/nasa-one-step-closer-to-fueling-space-missions-with-plutonium-238\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-11-21T13:18:19Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Technology,Technology for Space Travel,Glenn Research Center,Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS)\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Glenn Communications\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Kristin Jansen\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":2,"time_ago":"7 months","featured_image":{"id":569347,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks.png","title":"pia25171-figure-a-persevereance-looks-back-at-wheel-tracks","alt":"A close-up view of the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Power System on the back end of the Perseverance rover. The rover\u2019s tracks snake through the Martian sand toward a clay-colored mountain range.","caption":"Close-up of NASA\u2019s Perseverance Mars rover as it looks back at its wheel tracks on March 17, 2022, the 381st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. \n\n"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569341"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/354"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=569341"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":574876,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569341\/revisions\/574876"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/569347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=569341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=569341"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=569341"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=569341"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=569341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}