“More than 40 of DOE’s radioisotope power systems have flown on spacecraft, beginning in the 1960s with the manned missions to the moon and continuing today with the three systems providing electricity to the Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn,” Deputy Secretary McSlarrow said.  “The completion of this facility is an important new mission for Idaho and we look forward to continuing our work with NASA.” 

Joining Deputy Secretary McSlarrow for the dedication of the new facility was William D. Magwood IV, DOE’s director of nuclear energy science and technology, and Dr. John Sackett, Deputy Associate Laboratory Director for Engineering Research at Argonne National Laboratory.

On February 1, 2005, DOE will combine the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and Argonne National Laboratory-West to form INL as the Nation’s center for nuclear technology research, development and demonstration. As indicated in the department’s Request for Proposals for the new laboratory, in the future, DOE expects the INL to establish the capability and infrastructure to fabricate, test and assemble radioisotope power systems.

DOE announced plans two years ago to move the final assembly and testing operations associated with radioisotope power systems from the Mound Site in Ohio to Argonne-West.

Over the last year at a cost of $4.7 million, Argonne established a state-of-the-art assembly and test facility with capabilities that meet the stringent quality assurance, safety and reliability requirements of DOE and its customers. More than 320 tons of materials and equipment were relocated to Idaho to establish this new facility.

These radioisotope power systems are effective for use in space exploration because they can safely and reliably produce electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week for several decades. They are particularly advantageous when distances from the sun are so great that solar panels would not be feasible.   Comprised of two principle parts – a heat source and an energy conversion system – they work by converting the heat from radioactive decay of plutonium-238 into electricity using a thermocouple. The largest of the radioisotope power systems are the three that are currently onboard the Cassini spacecraft, each system producing about 285 watts of electricity, roughly equivalent to three 100-watt light bulbs. DOE’s power systems have proven to be very reliable and durable:  the Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, was still sending signals back to Earth when it left the solar system late last year.

Additional information on the Department of Energy’s nuclear energy program, including advanced radioisotope power systems and the Idaho National Lab, may be found at DOE’s nuclear energy program web site, www.nuclear.gov.

Media contacts:
Hope Williams, 202/586-5806
Brad Bugger, 208/526-0833

- DOE -

Release No. R-04-336