New Horizons Protest
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Somewhere around 30 protests opposing the New Horizons Mission marched on the fence at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station back in December.
The group, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, was protesting the launch because of the fact that there is twenty-four pounds of plutonium dioxide onboard. The plutonium is located the radioisotope thermoelectric generator, which is comprised of an aluminum cylinder containing 18 graphite compartments, each holding 1.3 pounds of plutonium.
According to NASA’s environmental impact statement, there is a 1 in 620 chance of a release in the event of an early launch failure. About the radiation dose an individual would receive the EIS states: “The mean maximum individual dose is estimated to be 0.3 rem, equivalent to about 80 percent of the dose and individual might receive annually form natural background radiation. It would increase the exposed person’s chance of a health effect by about 0.075 percent. There are different risks and consequences associated with different phases of the mission. It appears generally the higher the consequence the lower the risk at least in the early stages. Here is a link to the appropriate chapter (chapter 4) of the NASA’s environmental impact statement – you might want to read it and reach your own conclusion.
The overall risk of an accident is 1 in 350. See the fact sheet.
The EIS was pretty interesting to look over, particularly the Front Section which gives a good overview outlining the mission.
The protest group was the same one protesting the Cassini mission for the same reasons. That time they made the news, this time the protest was a pretty quiet affair. Probably so they can say “We told you so†in the event of a problem – hey, they got a right!
As an aside, during yesterdays press conference scientists were saying the launch window was chosen so the spacecraft could take advantage of a gravity assist from Jupiter. The gravity boost was similar to adding another stage to the rocket because of the velocity increase it would impart on the spacecraft (or words to that effect).
Clicking the image in this post will take you to a New Horizons screensaver page from NASA.
Me? Tomorrow is the day, send it up!
Source: NASA / Space4Peace / Online Topeka Capital-Journal
Image: NASA
I see you linked to it but did you actually go to their website and read their mission statement? They are complete boobs.
Next they’ll be telling us we have to stop the launch because the aliens on the plutonium-poor worlds in Carina Arm are planning to hijack the probe once it leaves our planet to fuel their doomsday machine (currently being constructed in Cygnus, although due to the massive X-Ray “cloaking device” surrounding the system we have as of yet been unable to verify it’s existence using the massive telescope the US Space Command has installed at one of their many bases on the lunar far side).
I like Rob.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah actually I did, came to pretty much the same conclusion as you, I get to deal with the same sorts at work.
I was going to post a picture of the protest and then decided against it after looking around a bit — they got a link and I thought that was big of me.
The Soviet Union used similar power sources for a number of Earth orbiting satellites. In fact, they used so many that the left-over sources interfere with X-ray and gamma ray astronomy! Oh, and at least two of them (that we know of) DID reenter the Earth’s atmosphere. We’re still alive.
The protestors should be more concerned with what’s in our food or the killing of whales!
More (plutonium) power to ‘em. Send that puppy! All scientific experiments are for knowledge. What we need, technology-wise, to get out there and do it is a necessary risk. Nuke the protesters…Incedentally, I have to agree with Kara about the food and whales
Amen to all