[ExI] nuclear fusion

[aiguy at comcast.net]

Amara said:
> 
> Please tell NASA where they are located, because presently they have 
> enough only for the RTGS of about one more outer solar system mission. 
> 
> http://www.space.com/news/080306-nasa-plutonium-shortage-fin.html 
> 
> NASA is planning to go around to the DOE centers collecting what they 
> can find. Russia is selling NASA some, selling the Indians some, then 
> the Russians say they have no more (uh huh ;-) ). 
> 
> Presently, a highly possible result of the end of the Cold War is that 
> the robotic exploration of the outer solar system exploration might be 
> ended (or at least slowed down) as well. 
>  
My understanding is that the nuclear warheads only have a certain shelf life before the 
half-life of the nuclear warheads becomes degraded enough that it has to be replaced.
Which means that all nuclear powers must still keep multiple nuclear enrichment
facilites online to replenish their allowed stockpile under the nuclear treaties.

These are enrichment centers are located on DOE reservations and are probably 
limited and monitored by nuclear proliferation treaties as to how much they produce.

But there is no reason that we could not go to the Russian's and other countries we have 
treaties with and ask them to send monitors and authorize the increased production for 
specific solar missions.  The production capacity is already there.

NASA probably also does not have access to DOD inventories.  These inventories though
are the one's limited by treaties.   The reason we buy as much Russion material as possible is
to keep it off of the black market.  A rogue nuke driven into the country's capital on the back of a pickup 
truck is an attack for which there is no defense.
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