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2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Industry Update—December 2025
Here is a recap of recent industry happenings:
Agreement signed on advanced nuclear technology in space
Texas-based space technology and orbital logistics developer Space Ocean Corporation and New Mexico–based space nuclear power systems developer Space Nuclear Power Corporation (SpaceNukes) have signed a letter of intent to explore the integration of advanced nuclear reactor technology into future space missions. Space Ocean agreed to test SpaceNukes’ 10-kilowatt microreactor aboard its ALV-N satellite and, if performance criteria are met, to use SpaceNukes as a core supplier of reactors for future Space Ocean lunar and planetary missions. The companies also agreed to examine the integration of fluid delivery systems with reactor modules, to collect operational data to support technology readiness certification, and to form a joint working group to pursue additional space infrastructure and commercial opportunities.
K. J. Caspary, B. E. Chapman, S. P. Oliva, S. T. A. Kumar
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 62 | Number 3 | November 2012 | Pages 375-378
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST12-A15336
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
On the Madison Symmetric Torus magnetic fusion plasma experiment, frozen pellet injection is an established method of depositing deuterium fuel into the core of the plasma. To freeze deuterium gas into pellets, the injector is cooled to 10 K with a cryogenic helium refrigerator. To exhaust residual frozen deuterium following injection of each pellet, the injector is warmed by resistive heating to >18.7 K, the triple point of deuterium. Motivated by the desire to inject carbon-containing pellets, the injector was modified to allow the freezing and injection of methane. The triple point of methane, 90.7 K, is well beyond the capability of the resistive heating hardware. To supplement the resistive heating, a small, steady flow of room-temperature helium was introduced as a heat source. The flow rate was optimized to provide minimum and maximum injector temperatures of 24 and 95 K, respectively, sufficient for methane pellet formation and exhaust. The flow rate can easily be optimized for other gases as well.