Xref: utzoo sci.physics:9746 sci.energy:728 sci.space:14085 sci.space.shuttle:3643
Path: utzoo!censor!geac!yunexus!tony
From: tony@yunexus.UUCP (Tony Wallis)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.energy,sci.space,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Plutonium-power for space craft .. how ?
Message-ID: <3866@yunexus.UUCP>
Date: 19 Sep 89 18:10:40 GMT
References: <3836@yunexus.UUCP>
Reply-To: tony@yunexus.UUCP (Tony Wallis)
Followup-To: sci.physics
Organization: York University  Department of Computer Science
Lines: 8


Thanks to the many people who e-mailed me the answer.
Heat from radio-isotope decay and thermo-couples.  No moving parts.

Actually, I had thought of that - but although I knew Pu was warm (warm
enough to make the oxide "creep") I didn't know it was that hot.
Significant contribution from isotopes with shorter half lives than
Pu-239 ?