ORNL-produced tech fuels NASA's Perseverance mission on Mars (VIDEO)
Caption
ORNL produces some pretty out-of-this-world materials. Plutonium-238, a unique iridium alloy, and carbon-bonded carbon fiber are all key ingredients for deep space exploration. NASA uses these materials in the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, or MMRTG. An MMRTG is like a nuclear-powered battery pack that can sustain far-reaching space missions for decades.NASA's Perseverance mission to Mars is the latest to feature one of these generators outfitted with ORNL tech.
Credit
Jenny Woodbery/ORNL; Animations courtesy of NASA, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
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