Non-exhaustive list of all types of fissile material sent in deep space aboard probes, orbiters and landers. They fuel nuclear devices such as power sources and heaters. (RTGs and RHUs are listed on the Spacecraft Payloads table).
Over 1,235 combined fissile material in forms of microspheres, discs and pellets have been identified, energizing over 38 power sources and 309 heaters.
Estimated total mass: over 123.5 kg.
| COSPAR ID | fuel | type | mission | quantity | total mass (kg) | position | status | date/epoch (UTC) | location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NONE | POLONIUM-210 | ? | LUNA 15A, LUNA 1969A | ? | 0.001 | V3-R70-4 RHU (rover) | scattered? | 19-Feb-69 | kazakhstan |
| 1969-059C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | APOLLO 11 | 2 | 0.068 | PSEP ALRHUs (EASEP) | intact | 27-Aug-69 | moon surface |
| 1969-099C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Microspheres | APOLLO 12 | ? | 3.8 | SNAP-27 RTG (ALSEP1, ARRAY A) | intact | 30-Sep-77 | moon surface |
| 1970-029C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Microspheres | APOLLO 13 | ? | 3.8 | SNAP-27 RTG (ALSEP 3, ARRAY B) | survived reentry? | 17-Apr-70 | tonga trench, pacific ocean |
| 1970-095C | POLONIUM-210 | ? | LUNA 17, LUNOKHOD 1 | ? | 0.001 | V3-R70-4 RHU (rover) | intact | 14-Sep-71 | moon surface |
| 1971-008C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Microspheres | APOLLO 14 | ? | 3.8 | SNAP-27 RTG (ALSEP 2, ARRAY C) | intact | 30-Sep-77 | moon surface |
| 1971-063C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Microspheres | APOLLO 15 | ? | 3.8 | SNAP-27 RTG (ALSEP 4, ARRAY A2) | intact | 30-Sep-77 | moon surface |
| 1972-012A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Discs | PIONEER 10 | 68 | 4 | SNAP-19 RTGs (probe) | intact | 23-Jan-03 | solar escape trajectory |
| 1972-012A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | PIONEER 10 | 12 | 0.0324 | RHUs (probe) | intact | 23-Jan-03 | solar escape trajectory |
| 1972-031C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Microspheres | APOLLO 16 | ? | 3.8 | SNAP-27 RTG (ALSEP 5, ARRAY D) | intact | 30-Sep-77 | moon surface |
| 1972-096C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Microspheres | APOLLO 17 | ? | 3.8 | SNAP-27 RTG (ALSEP 6, ARRAY E) | intact | 30-Sep-77 | moon surface |
| 1973-001C | POLONIUM-210 | Pellets | LUNA 21, LUNOKHOD 2 | ? | 0.001 | V3-R70-4 RHU (rover) | intact | 11-May-73 | moon surface |
| 1973-019A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Discs | PIONEER 11 | 68 | 4 | SNAP-19 RTGs (probe) | intact | 30-Sep-95 | solar escape trajectory |
| 1973-019A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | PIONEER 11 | 12 | 0.0324 | RHUs (probe) | intact | 30-Sep-95 | solar escape trajectory |
| 1975-075C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Discs | VIKING 1 | 34 | 2 | SNAP-19 RTGs (lander) | intact | 20-Jul-76 | mars surface |
| 1975-083C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Discs | VIKING 2 | 34 | 2 | SNAP-19 RTGs (lander) | intact | 3-Sep-76 | mars surface |
| 1977-076A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Spheres | VOYAGER 2 | 72 | 13.5 | MHW-RTGs (probe) | intact | 20-Aug-77 | solar escape trajectory |
| 1977-076A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | VOYAGER 2 | 9 | 0.0243 | RHUs (probe) | intact | 20-Aug-77 | solar escape trajectory |
| 1977-084A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Spheres | VOYAGER 1 | 72 | 13.5 | MHW-RTGs (probe) | intact | 5-Sep-77 | solar escape trajectory |
| 1977-084A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | VOYAGER 1 | 9 | 0.0243 | RHUs (probe) | intact | 5-Sep-77 | solar escape trajectory |
| 1989-084E | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | GALILEO | 17 | 0.0459 | LWRHUs (atmospheric probe) | incinerated upon atmospheric entry | 7-Dec-95 | jupiter's atmosphere |
| 1989-084B | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | GALILEO | 144 | 15.4 | GPHS-RTGs (orbiter) | incinerated upon atmospheric entry | 21-Sep-03 | jupiter's atmosphere |
| 1989-084B | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | GALILEO | 103 | 0.2781 | LWRHUs (orbiter) | incinerated upon atmospheric entry | 21-Sep-03 | jupiter's atmosphere |
| 1990-090B | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | ULYSSES | 72 | 7.7 | GPHS-RTG (probe) | intact | 30-Jun-09 | solar orbit |
| 1996-064A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | MARS 8, MARS 96 | 2 | 0.04 | Angel RHUs (landers) | survived reentry? | 17-Nov-96 | along a pacific ocean to bolivia ground track |
| 1996-064A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | MARS 8, MARS 96 | 2 | 0.04 | Angel RHUs (penetrators) | survived reentry? | 17-Nov-96 | along a pacific ocean to bolivia ground track |
| 1996-068A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | MARS PATHFINDER (DISCOVERY 1) | 3 | 0.0081 | LWRHUs (rover) | intact | 27-Sep-97 | mars surface |
| 1997-061C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | CASSINI-HUYGENS | 35 | 0.0945 | LWRHUs (lander) | intact | 14-Jan-05 | titan surface |
| 1997-061A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | CASSINI-HUYGENS | 216 | 23.1 | GPHS-RTGs (orbiter) | incinerated upon atmospheric entry | 15-Sep-17 | saturn's atmosphere |
| 1997-061A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | CASSINI-HUYGENS | 82 | 0.2214 | LWRHUs (orbiter) | incinerated upon atmospheric entry | 15-Sep-17 | saturn's atmosphere |
| 2003-027A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | MARS EXPLORATION ROVER 2 (MER-A/MER-2, SPIRIT) | 8 | 0.0216 | LWRHUs (rover) | intact | 22-Mar-10 | mars surface |
| 2003-032A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | MARS EXPLORATION ROVER 1 (MER-B/MER-1, OPPORTUNITY) | 8 | 0.0216 | LWRHUs (rover) | intact | 10-Jun-18 | mars surface |
| 2006-001A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | NEW HORIZONS, NEW FRONTIERS 1 | 72 | 7.7 | GPHS-RTG (probe) | intact | 19-Jan-06 | solar escape trajectory |
| 2011-070A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | MARS SCIENCE LABORATORY (MSL, CURIOSITY) | 32 | 3.4 | MMRTG (rover) | intact | 6-Aug-12 | mars surface |
| 2013-070A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | CHANG'E 3 | 1 | 0.0027 | RHU (lander) | intact | 14-Dec-13 | moon surface |
| 2013-070A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | CHANG'E 3 | 1? | 0.0027 | RHU (rover) | intact | 3-Aug-16 | moon surface |
| 2018-103A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | CHANG'E 4 | 1 | 0.0027 | RHU (lander) | intact | 3-Jan-19 | moon surface |
| 2018-103C | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | CHANG'E 4 | 1? | 0.0027 | RHU (rover) | intact | 3-Jan-19 | moon surface |
| 2020-052A | PLUTONIUM-238 | Pellets | MARS 2020 (PERSEVERANCE) | 32 | 3.4 | MMRTG (rover) | intact | 18-Feb-21 | mars surface |
| 2023-098A | AMERICIUM-241 | Pellets | CHANDRAYAAN-3 | 2 | 0.0054 | RHUs (orbiter) | intact | 22-Aug-24 | HEO |
| 2023-118A | POLONIUM-210 | ? | LUNA 25, LUNA-GLOB LANDER | ? | ? | RTG (lander) | scattered | 19-Aug-23 | moon surface |