of chemical fuel, to power our explorations. Nuclearelectric propulsion can be defined as using small plutonium based bricks,to power space vehicles for interplanetary trips. Nuclear electric systemsprovide very low thrust levels and use only very small amounts of fuelduring the voyage.(ref. 3,4) Using electric propulsion also allows the useof less fuel making the spacecrafts launch weight much lower than it wouldbe with chemical fuel.(ref. 3)The last beneficial use for plutonium is for cardiac pacemakers. Thethermo-electric generator which is powered by radionuclide batteries thatpowers the pacemaker uses Pu-238.One of the obvious uses of plutonium, whether is an advantage ordisadvantage, is for weaponry. It is an advantage if we need to use itagainst a foe, but it is disadvantageous is our foes use it against theUnited States. Now that we are at the hands of the Non-proliferation Treaty and the TestBan Treaty, we no longer can make and/or test nuclear weapons.(ref. 5)This should help end ideas about nuclear war and other disadvantages tohaving plutonium in other countrys' supplies. Now that we have recognizedthree important uses for Plutonium and that the threat of nuclear war isno longer as feasible as before, we should recognize the disadvantages ofthis great energy source. They mostly have to do with excess waste andhealth effects from the use of nuclear energy. In 1986, a reactor located in Russia at the Chernobyl power plant had ameltdown and radiation escaped from the plant.(ref. 8) Several dozen diedfrom this incident. Nuclear explosions produce radiation. When it comeswithin human contact, radiation hurts cells which can sicken people. Thecause of the Chernobyl meltdown was mostly because of human error. Theytried to perform an experiment at a time when they shouldn't have, andmany people paid for their incompetence. There are waste disposal problems that occur with the use of nuclearreactors. Waste also produces radiation whi...
