Plutonium-238
Plutonium-238 is a radioactive isotope of plutonium that emits alpha particles and has a half-life of 87.7 years. It is used as a heat source in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for deep space missions, such as the Mars rover missions. The decay of plutonium-238 produces a significant amount of heat, which is converted into electricity by thermocouples. The use of plutonium-238 in RTGs allows spacecraft to operate in environments where solar power is not feasible, such as in the outer solar system or on the surface of a planet with a thick atmosphere. Plutonium-238 is produced by irradiating neptunium-237 in a nuclear reactor and then chemically separating the plutonium-238 from the other isotopes of plutonium.
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