cassini flyby

["Ralph & Frances Shuping" <shuping@erols.com>]

Dear colleagues:
The news-story regarding Cassini did not clarify that the Pu is encased in a
package designed to re-enter earth's atmosphere without burnup.

Remember the Apollo satellites,which used 47K Ci Pu power sources which I
believe were named Snap reactors.  They were designed to provide electricity
to power the LEM and were located in the base unit which remained on the
moon after liftoff of the capsule.    Apollo 13 unfortunately had some
problems and fortunately returned to earth.  The LEM reentered and burned
up.  The Snap reentered and no evidence of released Pu was discovered.
Therefore the reentry design worked, as would have the re-entry shielding on
the Cassini Pu power source whiuch sounds like a scaled up Snap.
Ralph




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