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Article #7361Re: RTG's on the Lunar Module
From: Henry Spencer
Date: Thu, 07 Jan 1993 22:56
Date: Thu, 07 Jan 1993 22:56
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In article <1993Jan7.144516.20330@cam-orl.co.uk> dg@cam-orl.co.uk (Dave Garnett) writes:
>What are the radiation hazards (to the crew) associated
>with such a thing, as I understand that they comprise an
>unshielded lump of plutonium ?
The radiation hazard from plutonium 238 is insignificant; it's pretty much
a pure alpha emitter, and human skin stops alpha particles completely. (A
sheet of paper will do likewise.) You don't want to eat the stuff, but so
long as it stays put, no sweat.
--
"God willing... we shall return." | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
-Gene Cernan, the Moon, Dec 1972 | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!noc.near.net!hri.com!spool.mu.edu!torn!utzoo!henry From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: Re: RTG's on the Lunar Module Message-ID: <C0IADo.B1p@zoo.toronto.edu> Date: 7 Jan 93 22:56:11 GMT References: <1993Jan7.144516.20330@cam-orl.co.uk> Organization: U of Toronto Zoology Lines: 12