Timeline for How far from the Sun can solar power be used as a reliable energy source?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
8 events
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| Sep 27, 2022 at 12:10 | history | edited | gerrit | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
deleted 30 characters in body
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| Jul 23, 2013 at 9:06 | comment | added | gerrit | I'd love to see a well-documented answer to this relevant question! | |
| Jul 22, 2013 at 23:54 | comment | added | s-m-e | From an ethical point I agree. From a technical point, I am one of those 'lobbying' to allow RTGs in ESA missions whenever I can. It is a bit weird, I know. Safety is an issue, too, but it is more an issue of the launcher and people doing their job right. It is by far the best available technology, so why not use it, take a risk and handle it professionally? (I think we should take this discussion off this place ...) | |
| Jul 22, 2013 at 23:49 | comment | added | gerrit | Of course, one may discuss the pros and cons, and RTGs certainly have engineering advantages. But I do not agree that there is no technical reasoning. Safety is a technical issue. The choice in the balance between cost, safety, scientific advantages etc., that's ultimately political, but engineering aspects such as presented in NASAs EISes are relevant. | |
| Jul 22, 2013 at 23:43 | comment | added | gerrit | @ernestopheles How is cost not an intricate aspect of mission design? And there are good reasons why ESA does not allow RTGs; Plutonium is not funny. Mars '86 is still rotting somewhere in the Andes along with its highly toxic Plutonium, and if the kind of accident that recently happened with the Proton rocket carrying Glonass happens when there's 5 kg Plutonium on-board, cleanup costs are immense and who knows how many people get cancer. The NASA EIS statements linked in the question I linked contain more details. | |
| Jul 22, 2013 at 23:38 | comment | added | s-m-e | There is one more unfortunate aspect to this story. Politics and funding. In mission design, you will chose RTGs in a lot of cases towards Jupiter and beyond. The advantages are overwhelming. However, funding does not always permit it. Juno is using solar arrays to save money. Forget about engineering. Besides, ESA missions do not allow RTGs. It is some insane political mess in Europe, so deep space stuff by ESA will always use something else. There is again no technical reasoning behind this decision in case of Juice. | |
| Jul 22, 2013 at 11:52 | history | edited | gerrit | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added distances to the Sun
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| Jul 22, 2013 at 11:32 | history | answered | gerrit | CC BY-SA 3.0 |