A proposed new mission for producing 238Pu at the Hanford site

A new mission for producing 238Pu has been proposed at the Hanford site. If approved, the program would produce 238Pu for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space missions and possibly other speciality isotopes for medical and industrial applications. The 238Pu isotope is an excellent heat source and is currently used in generating electricity for deep-space applications. To produce 238Pu, special neptunium target assemblies would be irradiated for ∼2 yr in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) operated by Westinghouse Handford Company. After ∼1 yr of cooling, the neptunium pins would be reprocessed in special hot cells in the Fuel and Materials Examination Facility (FMEF) at the Hanford site to recover the 238Pu and convert it into the oxide form. The oxide could then be encapsulated in the FMEF using special materials and procedures to meet rigid NASA requirements. The plutonium oxide capsules would later become part of the radioisotope thermoelectric generators used by NASA to power equipment launched into space. To meet projected NASA mission requirements, the program would provide the capability to recover up to 30 kg/yr of 238Pu from 237Np targets by late 1993. The conceptual design for the program was completed by Westinghouse Hanford in September 1989 for validation and approval by the U.S. Department of Energy