135
Americium: How a small element could power the next century of space exploration
(interestingengineering.com)
this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2025
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Technology
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To -make-, yep. As the article pointed out, there's a lot of Amercium in waste dumps where old smoke detectors ... and anyone can make it. Five times the half-life means it can power much longer missions.
I like to recover old smoke detectors and eat the americium. I'm well on my way to becoming captain americium.
Seems kinda dangerous to do radioactive materials scrapping, but if you got the safety protocols and equipment worked out then it's a living
The length of missions is not currently and will not in the short or medium term be limited by the lifespan of plutonium.
Except in regions where there is no access to Pu ... as the article itself pointed out.