Project "Lucifer"- the strangest conspiracy that NASA is involved in

Translated by Jacek. Thank you.

 

“Przygotujcie się, gdyż przyszedł czas by napisać o budzącej grozę teorii spiskowej.

Jeżeli jesteś fanem/ką literatury science fiction, to znasz serię znaczących powieści pt. „2001: Odyseja kosmiczna” pióra Arthura C. Clarke’a (ekranizacja w reżyserii Stanelya Kubricka). W części drugiej, zatytułowanej „2010: Odyseja kosmiczna”, monolit obcych, który krążył wokół orbity Jowisza dokonał samoreplikacji i rozpoczął kondensację tego gazowego giganta, by w końcu przekształcić go w małe słońce. Proces ten zamienia księżyce wcześniejszej planety w nadające się do zamieszkania światy. Wskutek tego ludzie na Ziemi nadają drugiemu słońcu na niebie nazwę „Lucyfer”. To stosowna nazwa nowej gwiazdy w Układzie Słonecznym.

Most of us see such a concept in terms of science fiction, as almost impossible to realize given the current level of advancement of our technology. However, there is a group of conspiracy theorists who not only believe it is possible, but actually claim it is one of NASA's ongoing projects.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uQ4-Jn77xI

Jupiter is called a "would-be star" in the sense that if its mass were greater, a nuclear fusion reaction could take place, which would actually make the planet a star. Unfortunately (fortunately?) astrophysicists have calculated that for this to happen, Jupiter would have to have a mass 75 times greater than its current mass. Conspiracy theorists believe that this mass deficit could be corrected with nuclear fuel, which could trigger nuclear fusion. This is where NASA's Galileo, Cassini, Voyager and other space probes come in.

They require a reliable fuel source to do their work, as solar energy becomes difficult to harness beyond Mars orbit. Therefore, NASA has equipped its probes with an energy source called an "RTG," or "radioisotope thermoelectric generator." The radioactive decay of fuel tablets containing the radioactive isotope plutonium-238 in the radioisotope thermoelectric generator provides a constant supply of electricity to power the probe. For example, the Galileo space probe contains two such generators, each containing about 7 kg of plutonium-238. What would happen if you detonated this explosive charge on Jupiter?

Nothing, or at least nothing that could be observed. In 2003, the Galileo probe intentionally collided with this planet. NASA took this approach because it was feared that crashing the probe into one of Jupiter's moons risked contamination with Earth bacteria.

Conspiracy theorists saw the project as the realization of Project Lucifer. They feared that during Galileo's flyby in Jupiter's thick atmosphere, the pressure would build up to such a level that the plutonium in the RTG would trigger a thermonuclear reaction, in effect creating a new sun. It has been almost twelve years since the Galileo probe was buried in the heart of that gas planet and nothing has happened. There is no second sun in our sky, so suspicion is absent, right? Not exactly.

There is another gas giant in our Solar System, Saturn, and it is not much smaller than Jupiter. There is also another probe orbiting Saturn, called Cassini. It is equipped with over 30 kg of plutonium-238, and it is still orbiting that planet until NASA orders otherwise. So are we in danger? Physicists say no. Even if every atom of plutonium inside that space probe were involved in a nuclear detonation, it would not be enough to cause a chain reaction like a drop of water in the sea. Our technology would have to evolve steadily for hundreds, if not thousands of years before we achieved the ability to form stars. And even if such technology were available today, why would we need a second sun? Our sun functions perfectly, even given the sightings of massive UFO-like objects that occasionally steal the energy it generates. If one of the gas giants were to suddenly become a star, it would most likely upset the subtle balance in our solar system. Its gravitational pull would pull asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, undoubtedly sending some of them toward us. So why has this conspiracy theory received attention? It must be our fascination with possible earth doomsday scenarios.