Author Topic: NASA is prepared for the risks of launching nuclear-powered rover  (Read 368 times)

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Online Elderberry

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American Military News  July 25, 2020 Rachael Joy Florida Today

Every rocket launch is inherently dangerous, but the upcoming Mars 2020 rover mission has an added risk of releasing radioactive material used to power the rover if something goes wrong.

But the risk of any radioactive material being released over the Space Coast is extremely low, NASA officials say, and the likelihood of anybody being harmed by it is even lower.

“Within that first minute or so is the only chance that we have of the launch area really being put under concern,” explained Bob Holl, the NASA official leading the radiological response planning for the launch scheduled for July 30.

“The most probable outcome of the launch is a successful mission. That’s certainly why NASA is using the most reliable launch vehicle that is out there,” he said.

The Perseverance rover is set to blast off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on July 30 and journey to Mars to explore and for the first time ever collect rock samples.

Built by the Department of Energy, the “radioisotope thermoelectric generator” contains 10.6 pounds of plutonium dioxide as a heat source to produce electricity on the rover and warm its internal systems during the freezing Martian nights.

More: https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/07/nasa-is-prepared-for-the-risks-of-launching-nuclear-powered-rover/

Offline Joe Wooten

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Re: NASA is prepared for the risks of launching nuclear-powered rover
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2020, 01:33:32 am »
I'm surprised the Christic Institute has not made an appearance suing to stop the launch like they did with the Galileo and Cassini launches back in the 1990's