In the late 2010s, americium dioxide has been of interest to ESA as power source for radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for deep space exploration spacecraft and satellites. A fully automated chemical process to produce americium dioxide was developed by nuclear researchers from the University of Bristol to be implemented on the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria, UK. It is based on the same principles as the historic production method developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.