Archibald writes:

Hmm...i still don't see what's so wrong with RTG's? They are cheap,
reliable and have high energy density. Is there a ban on using RTG's or
what?

Not yet. But RTGs are considered _VERY_ "politically incorrect" by the Greens,
and every time one is launched, Greenpeace will picket NASA, Mitch Kaku will
appear on Nightline to tsk-tsk NASA for doing something so Environmentally
Threatening, and Jeremy Rifkin will file a strategic nuisance lawsuit, in an
attempt to get a Federal Judge to issue an injunction to Stop The Countdown
Until A Proper Environmental Impact Statement Has Been Filed And Processed
(by which time the launch window would have long since closed, effectively
canceling the launch).

Also, the stack of bureaucratic paperwork required to certify and launch
a vehicle carrying an RTG is exponentially higher, so NASA prefers to
avoid it unless it has Absolutely No Other Possible Alternative.


-- Gordon D. Pusch

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