Powering Space Exploration

Discover the fuel that propels our spacecraft to the outer reaches of the solar system in Powering Space Exploration: SRP’s Plutonium-238. This exhibit reveals how Plutonium-238, produced at the Savannah River Plant, became NASA’s chosen power source for deep space missions, providing both heat and electricity. Learn how SRS’s PuFF facility crafted plutonium spheres and cylinders that have powered iconic missions like Galileo, Cassini, and New Horizons. From the warmth of RTGs on interstellar journeys to Pu 238’s role in “The Martian,” this exhibit celebrates the science and ingenuity behind America’s journey to the stars.