From a AAS Alert:
"SUMMARY
Support planetary science by contacting Senator Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA), Chair of the Energy & Water Development Appropriations
Subcommittee and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Ranking Member, to
support the $10 million requested in the Energy & Water Appropriations
Bill for FY2012 to restart domestic production of plutonium-238.
DETAILS
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover launched successfully on
November 26. The largest rover to yet explore the martian surface will
carry multiple scientific instruments powered by a radioisotope
thermoelectric generator converting the heat from the decay of 3.5
kilograms of plutonium-238 (Pu-238) into 2.5 kilowatts hours per day
-- four times the power of the Mars Exploration Rovers' 0.6 kilowatt
hours per day.
The Curiosity Rover is using a large portion of the limited supply of
Pu-238 left in the world. The United States stopped producing Pu-238
in 1988 and augmented the demand by purchasing the last remaining
stock from Russia. However, Russia has recently reneged on the
contract to supply the US.
Restart of Pu-238 is of critical importance to the development of
planetary science missions. It is a non-weapons grade material and
there is no viable alternative to fuel deep space missions. If Pu-238
production starts immediately, there will still be at least a
five-year delay to have enough Pu-238 for a spacecraft. Full scale
Pu-238 production is unlikely until 2018, which is too late to meet
all of NASA's needs. The delay will push back the proposed planetary
space missions that would require Pu-238. The delay may cause missions
to reach prohibitively high costs, diminish the United States
leadership role in planetary science, and prevent us from expanding
human knowledge of the universe.
The Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science Decadal Survey says that,
"The committee is alarmed at the status of plutonium-238 availability
for planetary exploration. Without a restart of plutonium-238
production, it will be impossible for the United States, or any other
country, to conduct certain important types of planetary missions
after this decade."
The total amount of Pu-238 production funding requested for FY2012 is
$20 million, to be split between NASA and Department of Energy (DOE).
The cost sharing is a result of the recommendation given from the
previous year Congressional budget report.
NASA has received its share of $10 million toward the restart of
Pu-238 in the Commerce, Science, and Justice Appropriations for
FY2012. Both Senator Feinstein and Senator Alexander voted in favor of
that legislation.
Now, we are asking Congress to fund the DOE share of $10 million in
the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill for FY2012. Typically,
astrophysical research is funded through the DOE Office of Science.
However, funding request of $10 million for Pu-238 is through the
Office of Nuclear Energy to enable facilities to restart production.
ACTION ITEM
The House and Senate will soon conference to finalize the Energy and
Water Development Appropriations bill, perhaps in concert with other
appropriations bills. Senator Feinstein and Alexander can include the
restart funding during the conference process that was taken out of
the Senate appropriations bill and is already included in the House
version.
Please contact Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chair of the Energy &
Water Appropriations subcommittee and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN),
Ranking Member, either by written letter or by phone. When calling the
office, ask to speak to the staffer who is responsible for the restart
of domestic production of plutonium-238 within the Department of
Energy.
Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954
TTY/TDD: (202) 224-2501
Senator Lamar Alexander
United States Senate
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4944
Fax: (202) 228-3398
TTY: (202) 224-1546
Sample Communication for either Senator Feinstein or Alexander:
Hello, my name is [your name]. I am from [location] and [EITHER a
constituent of the Senator] [OR a research scientist interested in the
the restart of production of plutionium 238]. I am contacting you to
express strong support for funding the $10 million requested for the
DOE Office of Nuclear Energy to restart domestic production of
plutonium-238 for planetary science missions in the Energy & Water
Development appropriations bill during the upcoming conference process
and to thank the Senator for their support of this effort by voting to
provide NASA $10M for this activity.
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover, schedule to launch on
November 25, is using a large portion of the worlds limited supply of
Pu-238. The funding will allow production to begin immediately. Once
domestic production is restarted, there will still be at least a
five-year delay to have enough Pu-238 for a spacecraft. Full scale
Pu-238 production is unlikely until 2018, which is too late to meet
all of NASA's needs. The delay will push back the proposed planetary
space missions that would require Pu-238. We cannot afford to delay
production any longer.
The current Visions and Voyages Planetary Science Decadal Survey says
that, "the committee is alarmed at the status of plutonium-238
availability for planetary exploration. Without a restart of
plutonium-238 production, it will be impossible for the United States,
or any other country, to conduct certain important types of planetary
missions after this decade."
Thank you for your support in maintaining the United States as the
world leader in planetary science and expanding human knowledge of the
universe.
"SUMMARY
Support planetary science by contacting Senator Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA), Chair of the Energy & Water Development Appropriations
Subcommittee and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Ranking Member, to
support the $10 million requested in the Energy & Water Appropriations
Bill for FY2012 to restart domestic production of plutonium-238.
DETAILS
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover launched successfully on
November 26. The largest rover to yet explore the martian surface will
carry multiple scientific instruments powered by a radioisotope
thermoelectric generator converting the heat from the decay of 3.5
kilograms of plutonium-238 (Pu-238) into 2.5 kilowatts hours per day
-- four times the power of the Mars Exploration Rovers' 0.6 kilowatt
hours per day.
The Curiosity Rover is using a large portion of the limited supply of
Pu-238 left in the world. The United States stopped producing Pu-238
in 1988 and augmented the demand by purchasing the last remaining
stock from Russia. However, Russia has recently reneged on the
contract to supply the US.
Restart of Pu-238 is of critical importance to the development of
planetary science missions. It is a non-weapons grade material and
there is no viable alternative to fuel deep space missions. If Pu-238
production starts immediately, there will still be at least a
five-year delay to have enough Pu-238 for a spacecraft. Full scale
Pu-238 production is unlikely until 2018, which is too late to meet
all of NASA's needs. The delay will push back the proposed planetary
space missions that would require Pu-238. The delay may cause missions
to reach prohibitively high costs, diminish the United States
leadership role in planetary science, and prevent us from expanding
human knowledge of the universe.
The Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science Decadal Survey says that,
"The committee is alarmed at the status of plutonium-238 availability
for planetary exploration. Without a restart of plutonium-238
production, it will be impossible for the United States, or any other
country, to conduct certain important types of planetary missions
after this decade."
The total amount of Pu-238 production funding requested for FY2012 is
$20 million, to be split between NASA and Department of Energy (DOE).
The cost sharing is a result of the recommendation given from the
previous year Congressional budget report.
NASA has received its share of $10 million toward the restart of
Pu-238 in the Commerce, Science, and Justice Appropriations for
FY2012. Both Senator Feinstein and Senator Alexander voted in favor of
that legislation.
Now, we are asking Congress to fund the DOE share of $10 million in
the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill for FY2012. Typically,
astrophysical research is funded through the DOE Office of Science.
However, funding request of $10 million for Pu-238 is through the
Office of Nuclear Energy to enable facilities to restart production.
ACTION ITEM
The House and Senate will soon conference to finalize the Energy and
Water Development Appropriations bill, perhaps in concert with other
appropriations bills. Senator Feinstein and Alexander can include the
restart funding during the conference process that was taken out of
the Senate appropriations bill and is already included in the House
version.
Please contact Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chair of the Energy &
Water Appropriations subcommittee and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN),
Ranking Member, either by written letter or by phone. When calling the
office, ask to speak to the staffer who is responsible for the restart
of domestic production of plutonium-238 within the Department of
Energy.
Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954
TTY/TDD: (202) 224-2501
Senator Lamar Alexander
United States Senate
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4944
Fax: (202) 228-3398
TTY: (202) 224-1546
Sample Communication for either Senator Feinstein or Alexander:
Hello, my name is [your name]. I am from [location] and [EITHER a
constituent of the Senator] [OR a research scientist interested in the
the restart of production of plutionium 238]. I am contacting you to
express strong support for funding the $10 million requested for the
DOE Office of Nuclear Energy to restart domestic production of
plutonium-238 for planetary science missions in the Energy & Water
Development appropriations bill during the upcoming conference process
and to thank the Senator for their support of this effort by voting to
provide NASA $10M for this activity.
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover, schedule to launch on
November 25, is using a large portion of the worlds limited supply of
Pu-238. The funding will allow production to begin immediately. Once
domestic production is restarted, there will still be at least a
five-year delay to have enough Pu-238 for a spacecraft. Full scale
Pu-238 production is unlikely until 2018, which is too late to meet
all of NASA's needs. The delay will push back the proposed planetary
space missions that would require Pu-238. We cannot afford to delay
production any longer.
The current Visions and Voyages Planetary Science Decadal Survey says
that, "the committee is alarmed at the status of plutonium-238
availability for planetary exploration. Without a restart of
plutonium-238 production, it will be impossible for the United States,
or any other country, to conduct certain important types of planetary
missions after this decade."
Thank you for your support in maintaining the United States as the
world leader in planetary science and expanding human knowledge of the
universe.
