Which spacecraft applications have used plutonium-238 as a power source?

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A color-coded periodic table of the elements displays each element's symbol and atomic number, with categories such as alkali metals, noble gases, halogens, transition metals, and actinoid elements distinguished by different background colors. — transuranium element Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).

Plutonium-238 is a radioactive isotope used in space exploration to provide reliable, long-term energy for spacecraft. It functions as a heat source for radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), which convert the heat generated by the isotope's alpha decay directly into electricity.1234

While many deep-space missions utilize this technology, the Curiosity rover is a specific example of a spacecraft that employs plutonium-238 to power its batteries and onboard systems. Additionally, other notable deep-space probes, such as the Galileo spacecraft (which orbited Jupiter) and the Cassini mission to Saturn, were powered by these long-lived radioisotope generators. These systems are particularly valuable for missions where solar power is insufficient or impractical.2453