Get the latest tech news
NASA Budget Cuts Could End U.S. Exploration of the Outer Solar System
The U.S. planetary science community is sounding the alarm about plans to discard a nuclear technology that has powered dozens of NASA missions over the past 50 years
Russell emphasizes that RPS isn’t just critical for exploring Uranus, Enceladus and other destinations in the outer solar system—it’s also a likely fundamental pillar of the administration’s space priorities, such as developing a sustained human presence on the moon and sending astronauts to Mars. While both destinations are relatively close to the sun, the Red Planet’s global dust storms can bury solar panels, and the moon’s two-week-long lunar nights are cold enough to test the mettle of even the best batteries. The Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), which was chartered by and provides independent input to NASA, expressed its concerns to the space agency in findings from a June meeting, writing that the decision would have “dire implications” for future solar system exploration.
Or read this on r/technology
