I think we're being swindled.

If the mars rover's battery will power it for two years. And it's the size of a mini cooper. Then how come the chevy volt and prius's can't even go from one county to the next without recharging?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49464723/ns/technology_and_science-space/#__utma=14933801.2036199977.1344873124.1350576681.1350580251.163&__utmb=14933801.3.10.1350580251&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1350303695.150.15.utmcsr=msn.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Ccover=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=75133202

ghandi wrote:If the mars rover's battery will power it for two years. And it's the size of a mini cooper. Then how come the chevy volt and prius's can't even go from one county to the next without recharging?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49464723/ns/technology_and_science-space/#__utma=14933801.2036199977.1344873124.1350576681.1350520Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=75133202

I would hazard a guess that Curiosity has about a $1M battery in it.

riceme wrote:

ghandi wrote:If the mars rover's battery will power it for two years. And it's the size of a mini cooper. Then how come the chevy volt and prius's can't even go from one county to the next without recharging?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49464723/ns/technology_and_science-space/#__utma=14933801.2036199977.1344873124.1350576681.1350520Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=75133202

I would hazard a guess that Curiosity has about a $1M battery in it.

I didn't think anyone here would figure that out so quickly.
You're pretty smart, for a girl.

ghandi wrote:
I didn't think anyone here would figure that out so quickly.
You're pretty smart, for a girl.

LOL.

Dimensions: Curiosity rover has a mass of 899 kg (1,980 lb) including 80 kg (180 lb) of scientific instruments.[14] The rover is 2.9 m (9.5 ft) long by 2.7 m (8.9 ft) wide by 2.2 m (7.2 ft) in height.[15]


Radioisotope within a graphite shell goes into the generator.
Power source: Curiosity is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), like the successful Viking 1 and Viking 2 Mars landers in 1976.[16][17]
Radioisotope power systems (RPSs) are generators that produce electricity from the natural decay of plutonium-238, which is a non-fissile isotope of plutonium. Heat given off by the natural decay of this isotope is converted into electricity by thermocouples, providing constant power during all seasons and through the day and night. Waste heat can be used via pipes to warm systems, freeing electrical power for the operation of the vehicle and instruments.[16][17] Curiosity's RTG is fueled by 4.8 kg (11 lb) of plutonium-238 dioxide supplied by the U.S. Department of Energy,[18] packed in 32 cubes, each about the size of a marshmallow (≈20 cm3).[14]
Curiosity's power generator is the latest RTG generation built by Boeing and Idaho National Laboratory, called the "Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator" or MMRTG.[19][20] Based on classical RTG technology, it represents a more flexible and compact development step,[19] and is designed to produce 125 watts of electrical power from about 2000 watts of thermal power at the start of the mission.[16][17] The MMRTG produces less power over time as its plutonium fuel decays: at its minimum lifetime of 14 years, electrical power output is down to 100 watts.[21][22] The power source will generate 9 MJ (2.5 kilowatt hours) per day, much more than the solar panels of the Mars Exploration Rovers, which can generate about 2.1 MJ (0.6 kilowatt hours) per day. The electrical output from the MMRTG charges two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. This enables the power subsystem to meet peak power demands of rover activities when the demand temporarily exceeds the generator’s steady output level. Each battery has a capacity of about 42 amp-hours.

· Fifteen years ago, the United States stopped making plutonium-238, one of the most toxic substances known to man. It can be fatal to inhale so much as a speck of the radioactive isotope. But now, citing national security needs, the government is preparing to start making it again at a federally owned site in the Idaho desert. Plutonium-238 is far more radioactive than its cousin, plutonium-239, which is used in bombs. It’s so radioactive, it stays hot to the touch for decades. It is useless for commercial nuclear power plants, but ideal to make small, long-lasting batteries for devices such as space probes and espionage equipment. – npr.org



Could a pound of it kill everyone on earth? Not really.

In regard to the statement that 1 pound of Pu would kill everyone on Earth… One pound of plutonium would be enough to give 1.6E+9 persons a CDE of 50 rem (0.5 Sv) {which could result in 1.5E+5 additional cancers} *IF* and ONLY IF the material was pulverized into particles of respirable size and the material could be adequately dispersed in the atmosphere. A few decades ago the United States and other countries engaged in atmospheric nuclear bomb testing. These tests released many pounds of radioactive isotopes, including plutonium, to the atmosphere. Although there is some evidence of increased incidence of cancer among “downwinders”, there have not been 1.5E+5 cancers in excess of the number expected. So it would be practically impossible to kill everyone on earth with one pound of plutonium. – isu.edu

For now, plutonium batteries are still far too dangerous to use on earth. We did not always k

I remember all the gnashing of teeth and hand ringing when NASA announced the launch of a satellite with the "nuke" battery (can't remember which one now) but they are much more powerful than normal use batteries.