The Perseverance rover, headed for Mars this summer, carries a plutonium isotope produced at ORNL, the first domestic production in about 30 years. As it decays, Pu-238 will power the rover and its instruments across the planet.
Pu-238, in pellet form, produces heat that the rover’s multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator converts to electricity. Its long half-life makes it ideal for deep-space travel.