Rosalind Franklin rover
ESA's Rosalind Frankin rover will search for evidence of Martian life. Credit: ESA

JOHANNESBURG — The European Space Agency is moving ahead with plans to establish a pilot plant intended to produce sovereign European-manufactured americium-241 radioisotope heater units (RHUs), devices that use heat generated by radioactive decay to keep spacecraft components warm enough to operate, for future exploration missions.

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Andrew Parsonson is based in Valetta, Malta, and has been covering the space industry since 2017.