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Neptunium Research Boosts Plutonium-238 for Deep Space Missions

2/5/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) researchers study neptunium to enable production of plutonium-238 for long-range spacecraft power, including missions such as NASA’s Perseverance Rover.
The team uses thermal decomposition to understand neptunium's chemical properties.
They have developed a Raman spectroscopy–based structural fingerprint of a vital neptunium oxide.
ORNL plans to study additional neptunium compounds to improve deep-space fuel production, reflecting a resurgence in neptunium research led by early-career scientists.

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Story summary

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) researchers study neptunium to enable production of plutonium-238 for long-range spacecraft power, including missions such as NASA’s Perseverance Rover.
The team uses thermal decomposition to understand neptunium's chemical properties.
They have developed a Raman spectroscopy–based structural fingerprint of a vital neptunium oxide.
ORNL plans to study additional neptunium compounds to improve deep-space fuel production, reflecting a resurgence in neptunium research led by early-career scientists.