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| 3D Illustration of a lunar base with a dome structure, research modules, observation pods and communication satellite dishes for space exploration and science fiction backgrounds: National Nuclear Laboratory |
The world's first space battery fueled by Americium-241, a nuclear-based
fuel, will be developed in cooperation between the National Nuclear
Laboratory (NNL) and the U.K. Space Agency.
This project will be carried out in a brand-new laboratory in Cumbria
costing £19 million ($23 million) and outfitted with cutting-edge machinery
and technology, according to a joint
press release
by NNL and the Space Agency on Friday.
"For the past 50 years space missions have used Plutonium-238 to stop
spacecrafts from freezing, but it is in very limited supply," said professor
Tim Tinsley, account director at NNL.
"We have identified significant reserves of Americium-241, a radioisotope
with similar properties to Plutonium-238 but [with] game-changing potential
for the U.K.'s space ambitions."
Americium-241 is a type of americium isotope. It is radioactive, like all
americium isotopes, with a half-life (radioactive decay) of 432.2 years.
It's utilized in the glass sector as a thickness gauge and as a neutron
source for non-destructive testing of machinery and equipment. Its most
typical use, though, is as an ionization source in smoke detectors.
This work "will see us applying decades of experience in separating and
purifying used nuclear material in order to unlock great public benefits,
and it goes to the heart of our purpose of nuclear science to benefit
society," Tinsley explained.
Why is it game-changing?
All of the Apollo missions carried an atomic battery, as have all of the
Mars rovers. Atomic batteries are referred to as "mission-critical
technologies" by space agencies.
Most atomic batteries have been powered by Plutonium-238, a radioisotope
produced solely in the U.S. and Russia, where supplies are scarce. And there
is an urgent need for an alternative, according to space experts.
As the radioactivity in radioactive space batteries, also known as
Radioisotope Power Systems (RPSs), decays, radiation is released. In order
to protect the spacecraft from freezing, onboard equipment can be powered
either by converting heat into energy or by using it directly.
The batteries last for decades without needing to be repaired for the many
years that a spaceship may be in transit.
The project, which has been in the works at NNL, the U.K.'s national nuclear
fission laboratory, since 2009, has seen researchers make the initial
discovery that Americium-241, an alternative to Plutonium-238, is produced
during the radioactive decay of spent fuel from nuclear reactors and that it
emits power for more than 400 years.
"This new capability marks a significant milestone for the North West Space
Cluster, adding skilled jobs to the existing 2,000-strong workforce," said
George Freeman, U.K's Science Minister.
"This exciting work from the National Nuclear Laboratory is supported by
over £19 million in government funding, creating a nuclear-based fuel that
will put Sellafield and the North West firmly on the global space technology
map."
Economic and technological prospects
The "game-changing" space batteries could propel the space industry as well
create economic opportunities in the country, according to the U.K.
government.
"Being able to offer a globally unique supply of Americium-241 will
encourage investment and unlock growth opportunities for all sorts of U.K.
industries looking to explore nuclear energy," hopes the science minister.
The new partnership will transform a tested scientific idea into a
fully-realized technology because there is an abundant supply of
Americium-241 available for extraction at NNL's flagship Central Laboratory
on the Sellafield site, where the new lab is being established.
It will be in use within the next four years and is anticipated to be
utilized for both upcoming missions into deep space and the European Space
Agency's Argonaut mission to the Moon.
"We are backing technology and capabilities to support ambitious space
exploration missions and boost sector growth across the U.K.," said Dr. Paul
Bate, CEO of the U.K. Space Agency.
"This innovative method to create Americium to power space missions will
allow us not only to sustain exploration of the Moon and Mars for longer
periods of time, but to venture further into space than ever before."