![Curiosity's 4.8 kg of Plutonium-238 dioxide glowing its graphite container red hot. Heat given off by the decay of this isotope is converted into electric voltage by thermocouples, providing constant power during Curiosity's 4.8 kg of Plutonium-238 dioxide glowing its graphite container red hot. Heat given off by the decay of this isotope is converted into electric voltage by thermocouples, providing constant power during](http://i.imgur.com/lTtn8xI.jpg)
Curiosity's 4.8 kg of Plutonium-238 dioxide glowing its graphite container red hot. Heat given off by the decay of this isotope is converted into electric voltage by thermocouples, providing constant power during
![Plutonium-238 Production for Space Exploration - National Historic Chemical Landmark - American Chemical Society Plutonium-238 Production for Space Exploration - National Historic Chemical Landmark - American Chemical Society](https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/plutonium-238-production/_jcr_content/articleContent/columnsbootstrap_1013479972/column1/textimage/image.scale.medium.jpg/1570741065518.jpg)
Plutonium-238 Production for Space Exploration - National Historic Chemical Landmark - American Chemical Society
![Cutaway view of a radioisotope power source (RPS) (Image credit: DOE).... | Download Scientific Diagram Cutaway view of a radioisotope power source (RPS) (Image credit: DOE).... | Download Scientific Diagram](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221918330/figure/fig1/AS:305160204111876@1449767270433/Cutaway-view-of-a-radioisotope-power-source-RPS-Image-credit-DOE-In-1951-the-US.png)