Radioactive wasps at SRS

[kodis556]

If I read the literature correctly, the purpose of the new plant is not to build plutonium cores for weapons, it's to meet a need for power cores in the next generation of space vehicles.

Now, having a Pu plant in your backyard - no matter what isotope of Pu you're talking about - isn't great, but it's really just the last step of transforming Np238 into something useful.

Pu238 is a powerful alpha emitter, but it's utterly lousy for weaponization.

Just don't eat it.

Nothing here about space exploration...

"In recent years, the National Nuclear Security Administration has begun work on a facility at SRS to produce new plutonium cores for American nuclear weapons.

 

[HERMET]

Don’t eat plutonium?

That should be today’s official “ODT Tip of the Day”

Around here, it's probably necessary.

Don't lick the spicy rocks.

 

[BHPSteel]

Nothing here about space exploration...

"In recent years, the National Nuclear Security Administration has begun work on a facility at SRS to produce new plutonium cores for American nuclear weapons.

SRS was where a lot of Pu-238 was made back in the 60's thru' the 80's.

Plutonium-238 Production for Space Exploration - National Historic Chemical Landmark - American Chemical Society

American Chemical Society: Chemistry for Life.

www.acs.org

Beyond Earth’s Bounds

You may know that Sputnik was the first satellite in space and that Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon. Those facts are common knowledge for many, but the facts on another space-related milestone is not as well known: the name of the first nuclear powered satellite launched into space...

www.srnl.gov

Pu-238 is almost uniquely suitable for powering space probes because of its half-life and the fact that it's very UNSUITABLE for nuclear weapons.

NASA requires a supply of between 6 and 8 lb a year to supply the future projects they have planned, and aside from very small amounts being created in research reactors at Oak Ridge and Idaho (and no high-volume processing capabilities) so there's almost no Pu-238 around for use.

We used to buy in Pu-238 from Russia, but as you can imagine, the trade has kinda dried up.

Remembering the Savannah River Plant

www.ans.org

SRS is therefore a prime candidate for a new/recommissioned plant - and it seems like that's being considered, given that there's a pre-existing hot cell and there's some experience in the area with handling non-weapon isotopes.

Edit:

For real nerds, this:

 

[Kahrnut]

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