> The original sin is the lack of will to make the Webb nuclear powered. There is a broader point about space exploration in general here. The science that can

> The original sin is the lack of will to make the Webb nuclear powered. There is a broader point about space exploration in general here. The science that can be delivered by nuclear powered probes is well beyond that of solar ones. Higher instrument power, better comms, longer life, more predictable power supply. It's just better. There's one place in America that makes the plutonium for RTGs. Plutonium is the ideal RTG fuel from an engineering point of view. But controlling and securing it jacks up the costs. What we need is lots of research into less-politically-fraught fuels. Americium is looking really promising. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator#Fuels https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_...