Beginning in the late 1950s, the U.S. met this challenge by developing nuclear batteries known as radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) and producing plutonium-238 (Pu-238) as their fuel, ...

Powering spacecraft with solar energy may not seem like a challenge, given how intense the sun's light can feel on Earth.

However, NASA isn’t ready to say goodbye just yet, and is taking measures to get as much life out of the pair as possible. On ...

In an effort to conserve Voyager 2's dwindling energy and extend the spacecraft's mission, NASA has shut down another of its ...

The Neutronics model proposed can be used for neutron spectrum optimization, which can effectively improve the production efficiency of Pu-238, improving the yield of 238 Pu up to 18.81%.

A pair of extraordinary space missions that have been headed out of the solar system for almost half a century are getting a ...

For nearly five decades, the twin Voyager spacecraft have pushed the boundaries of human exploration, venturing deeper into ...

The proposed solution to this problem is to instead use fast-neutron reactors, which “breed” non-fissile uranium-238 into plutonium-239 and plutonium-240, which can then be used as fresh fuel.

Russia's A.I. Leypunsky Institute of Physics and Power Engineering has begun tests to study the neutron-physical characteristics of the VVER-S reactor with MOX fuel. ; ...

Heavy water can play a role in breeding weapons-grade plutonium from common uranium. In a heavy-water nuclear reactor, when neutrons bombard U-238, some uranium atoms absorb an additional neutron ...