New Mars Rover Powered By Plutonium

More power than can be achieved by solar panels is necessary to run the Mars Science Laboratory aka "Curiosity". Heat from the decay of plutonium dioxide will generate 110 watts of electrical power to charge the rover's batteries. To View More Videos About the NEW MARS ROVER - Go to: http://www.space.com/13607-curiosity-suv-mars-rovers.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• mars rover
• power
• plutonium
• mars science laboratory
• curiosity
• electrical
• watts
• batteries
• video

[xXDEICIDE216Xx]

ITS ABOUT F'ing time NASA! PU RTG is the way to go. Solar is handy, but the Energy from PU will be much more reliable.

[VideoFromSpace]

@xXDEICIDE216Xx The Voyagers, Galileo, Cassini all had RTGs. So did the Apollo 13 Lunar Module - which had an active SNAP-27 RTG aboard when it crashed back into Earth's Pacific Ocean (into the Tonga Trench - 20,000+ feet deep) - without any detectable release of radioactivity in the atmosphere or the ocean.

[xXDEICIDE216Xx]

@VideoFromSpace Wow! I got a direct response from you guys! :) You made my day! You are right, RTG even as "old" as it may be has a high record of safety which is why I support it. I guess im Pro-Nuclear. The original rovers using solar kind of perplexed me being mars is such dusty environment and all. Anyways, thank you so much for all of the videos you post. I really love you guys and cant be thankful enough for what you do.

[VideoFromSpace]

@xXDEICIDE216Xx Around here, we're Pro-Safety AND Pro-Exploration; But maybe not always in that order. At some point, progress requires acceptable risk. Anyway, make ya a deal: You keep watching and commenting; We'll keep posting!

[Riggro]

I never understood the irrational fear of nuclear power in the world...

[VideoFromSpace]

@Riggro When irrational fears are fully understood by the "fear-er," they tend to dissipate. We believe it's good that you speak up to help others get past unreasoned paranoia.

[MrTimothytim]

@AIRburst95 that wouldnt be enough for the US Ntionalism since The Russians hade the first man in space they needed somethign to compete with that in order to still have all the people behind them altho ill prob get comments on this by Americans blinded by it but you must not let that distract you from the truth

[AIRburst95]

@TheMACcar couldn't we have just sent a probe to the moon instead of man?

[orbits2]

@gatorhighlights4 thts wt sh sd

[kylone1]

@sn9696 If you want to know more about the radioisotope used, look up Plutonium-238

[sn9696]

This is great, i love space but i hope wherever the Plutonium is contained in is indestructible ! All we need is a rocket to fail and plutonium getting into the atmosphere...