Publications Details

Nuclear Risk Assessment 2019 Update for the Mars 2020 Mission Environmental Impact Statement

Clayton, Daniel J.; Wilkes, John; Starr, Michael J.; Ehrhart, Brian D.; Mendoza, Hector M.; Ricks, Allen J.; Villa, Daniel V.; Potter, Donald L.; Dinzl, Derek J.; Fulton, John F.; Laros, James H.; Cochran, Lainy D.; Brooks, Dusty M.

In the summer of 2020, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to launch a spacecraft as part of the Mars 2020 mission. The rover on the proposed spacecraft will use a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) to provide continuous electrical and thermal power for the mission. The MMRTG uses radioactive plutonium dioxide. NASA is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the mission in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. This Nuclear Risk Assessment addresses the responses of the MMRTG option to potential accident and abort conditions during the launch opportunity for the Mars 2020 mission and the associated consequences. This information provides the technical basis for the radiological risks discussed in the SEIS.