RISKS VS. RETURNS Is the Cassini Mission safe? October 21, 1997

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Questions answered in this forum: What is the Cassini mission all about? What could cause an accident when Cassini swings by Earth? What damage would an accident cause? Why was plutonium selected to power Cassini? What other energy sources could have been used to speed up the mission? How can NASA risk public safety for planetary exploration? NewsHour Coverage October 15, 1997 The NewsHour speaks with Dr. Wesley T. Huntress, in charge of NASA's Cassini mission. November 18-22, 1996 A series of Online NewsHour forums on nuclear power. December 9, 1996: Energy Sec. Hazel O'Leary discusses the disposal of plutonium-filled nuclear weapons. June 10, 1996: The NewsHour looks at the problem of disposing nuclear weapons. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of the Science and Environment. OUTSIDE LINKS NASA's Cassini Web site and report on nuclear safety. Who was Cassini? The NASA Web site explains where the mission got its name. Federation of American Scientists Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice

A recent article labeled NASA's Cassini mission the "Rolls Royce" of space projects. Certainly, the numbers suggest it's a deluxe vehicle; standing two stories high, weighing over six tons and costing around $3.4 billion, it's vintage NASA, a return to the agency's earlier larger-budget space missions. Scientists also say the mission could bring back a tremendous amount of information on the galaxy. But some would have liked to have seen this Rolls Royce recalled, because the mission, launched Wednesday to Saturn and its moons, is fueled by plutonium, a substance that could cause serious environmental and health problems if it were released into the atmosphere. NASA maintains that the plutonium used in the craft's RTGs-- radioscopic thermoelectric generators-- is necessary; solar energy alone would not generate enough power for Cassini to reach the ringed planet to complete an extensive exploration. And plutonium has already been used in the Galileo space mission, currently gathering data from Jupiter and its moon. But Cassini has struck a sour note with anti-nuclear activists because of the sheer amount of plutonium going up in the sky, 72 pounds worth. And even though Cassini was launched Wednesday morning without incident, opponents argue that an accident could still occur when it swings by Earth en route to Saturn, creating a huge environmental disaster. NASA maintains that the project is ultimately a safe one and that risks to the population are minimal. The White House has agreed, giving its approval for the mission to proceed. But NASA's environmental impact reports have disturbed a number of anti-nuclear groups and individual scientists who maintain that nuclear contamination is a risk NASA should not be taking. This forum probes the Cassini mission. What do scientists hope to learn from Cassini? What are the risks? What are the precautions that have been taken? This forum will also look at the broader questions Cassini raises: should researchers take risks for the sake of scientific discovery? Who draws the lines between acceptable and unacceptable risks? Joining us for this forum are Steven Aftergood, a senior research analyst for the Federation of American Scientists, Dr. John Gofman, a professor emeritus of molecular and cell biology at University of California at Berkeley, and Dr. Gary Bennett, a retired scientist who has worked with NASA and the Department of Energy. Although the FAS was founded by members of the Manhattan Project to address the implications and dangers of the nuclear age, Mr. Aftergood supports the Cassini mission. Dr. Gofman, one of the first scientists to work with plutonium on the Manhattan Project, opposes NASA's project. And while he was with the Department of Energy, Dr. Bennett was Director of Safety and Nuclear Operations for the Galileo and Ulysses missions, which also used plutonium. Questions answered in this forum: What is the Cassini mission all about? What could cause an accident when Cassini swings by Earth? What damage would an accident cause? Why was plutonium selected to power Cassini? What other energy sources could have been used to speed up the mission? How can NASA risk public safety for planetary exploration?

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