[Dr Caleb]

Plutonium, everyone should be aware, is not a natural substance. It can only be produced by a fission reaction of Uranium 238.<br /> <br /> Second, this makes no sense. It would be easier to produce P-238 by using P-235 (weapons grade plutonium) that is removed from nuclear weapons as they are dismantled. It relatively easy to get P-235 from Russia and the US because of all the Nuclear weapons and submarines that are being decomissioned.<br /> <br />

[talus]

This p-238 is most interesting. I hope these "missions" for national security reasons don't mean that they are putting it in space- what goes up often comes down in unexpected places. This stuff is as toxic as the plague.<br /> Quite a mystery.

[FootPrints]

Further reading on Plutonium 238 for anyone interested:<br /> <br /> The Case Against the Plutonium Space Race<br /> So what happens when the sky begins to fall?<br /> <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/gyrobase/PrintFriendly?oid=oid%3A482">here</a><br /> <br /> DOE to Resume Production of Plutonium-238<br /> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/27/AR2005062700942_pf.html">here</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.nuclearspace.com/A_RTG_DOEVIEW2_FIN.htm">SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS IN SPACE NUCLEAR OPERATIONS</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.uic.com.au/nip18.htm">Plutonium</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/d1v/pu238.htm">Plutonium-238: Use, Origin and Properties</a><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />