way out into space the sun’s energy giving Ray’s grow weaker solar panels
giving Ray’s grow weaker solar panels
giving Ray’s grow weaker solar panels would be little used to Cassini passing
would be little used to Cassini passing
would be little used to Cassini passing distant planets
distant planets
distant planets it needs a far longer lasting source of
it needs a far longer lasting source of
it needs a far longer lasting source of power the radioactive power of
power the radioactive power of
power the radioactive power of plutonium-238 in Idaho Falls behind
plutonium-238 in Idaho Falls behind
plutonium-238 in Idaho Falls behind high-level security the United States
high-level security the United States
high-level security the United States Department of Energy harnesses this
Department of Energy harnesses this
Department of Energy harnesses this prized source the Cassini mission
prized source the Cassini mission
prized source the Cassini mission required more nuclear power than any
required more nuclear power than any
required more nuclear power than any other mission in NASA’s history three
other mission in NASA’s history three
other mission in NASA’s history three heavily shielded thermoelectric
heavily shielded thermoelectric
heavily shielded thermoelectric generators transform the heat of
generators transform the heat of
generators transform the heat of radioactive decay into electrical power
radioactive decay into electrical power
radioactive decay into electrical power they hold
they hold
they hold iridium coated plutonium planets lasting
iridium coated plutonium planets lasting
iridium coated plutonium planets lasting for decades but potentially deadly to
for decades but potentially deadly to
for decades but potentially deadly to life that energy source is what keeps
life that energy source is what keeps
life that energy source is what keeps Cassini’s cameras taking pictures and
Cassini’s cameras taking pictures and
Cassini’s cameras taking pictures and powers its radio messages back to earth
powers its radio messages back to earth
powers its radio messages back to earth it runs all the devices on the
it runs all the devices on the
it runs all the devices on the spacecraft plus the residual heat is
spacecraft plus the residual heat is
spacecraft plus the residual heat is funneled into the spacecraft and keeps
funneled into the spacecraft and keeps
funneled into the spacecraft and keeps all the instruments warm and in their
all the instruments warm and in their
all the instruments warm and in their proper operating range but how do you
proper operating range but how do you
proper operating range but how do you stay warm when outside temperatures are
stay warm when outside temperatures are
stay warm when outside temperatures are dropping to minus 364 degrees Fahrenheit
dropping to minus 364 degrees Fahrenheit
dropping to minus 364 degrees Fahrenheit you wrap up in a blanket in this room at
you wrap up in a blanket in this room at
you wrap up in a blanket in this room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion lab there is over
NASA’s Jet Propulsion lab there is over
NASA’s Jet Propulsion lab there is over a million dollars worth of them this is
a million dollars worth of them this is
a million dollars worth of them this is the fabric we use to shield Cassini and
the fabric we use to shield Cassini and
the fabric we use to shield Cassini and protected against the environmental
protected against the environmental
protected against the environmental fluxes of space more than 20 layers of
fluxes of space more than 20 layers of
fluxes of space more than 20 layers of specialised fabric protect Cassini not
specialised fabric protect Cassini not
specialised fabric protect Cassini not real gold but colored aluminized
real gold but colored aluminized
real gold but colored aluminized materials $60,000 worth Cassini was one
materials $60,000 worth Cassini was one
materials $60,000 worth Cassini was one of the most challenging spacecrafts to
of the most challenging spacecrafts to
of the most challenging spacecrafts to even you know undertake it was menacing
even you know undertake it was menacing
even you know undertake it was menacing to think that we had to develop
to think that we had to develop
to think that we had to develop shielding for this entire spacecraft
it’s taken decades of dreaming designing
it’s taken decades of dreaming designing building and testing now the mission is
building and testing now the mission is
building and testing now the mission is ready to go
ready to go
ready to go [Music]
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