Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element, with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is a heavy, silvery metal that ...

So in this sense plutonium is its own worst enemy. Its radioactivity means that it's very difficult to exploit the richness of its chemistry in many compounds, and as its reputation precedes it, ...

The relatively short operating life and temperature limitations of chemical batteries, another option, constrain their application in space. Radioactive materials offer an alternative power source.