Plutonium-238 Supply Project

The current supply of plutonium-238 (238Pu), used to power deep-space missions for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is nearly exhausted. A new supply chain is planned using existing reactors at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and existing chemical recovery facilities at ORNL. The basic tasks that are required to produce new 238Pu are (1) neptunium storage, (2) target fabrication, (3) target irradiation, and (4) chemical processing of irradiated targets to recover 238Pu. Target irradiation can be accomplished in existing reactors at the national laboratories. Target fabrication, target irradiation, and chemical processing are the functions that need to be reestablished. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has presented a plan to use existing reactors at ORNL and INL and processing facilities at ORNL, modified as needed, to specifically produce 238Pu. This approach is viewed as the most cost-effective and timely means of reestablishing production at a rate that meets projected user needs. Target design qualification, target fabrication, irradiation, and chemical processing development tasks have begun in order to develop appropriate technology to supply the 238Pu needed by NASA.