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The Young Members Group works to encourage and enable all young professional members to be actively involved in the efforts and endeavors of the Society at all levels (Professional Divisions, ANS Governance, Local Sections, etc.) as they transition from the role of a student to the role of a professional. It sponsors non-technical workshops and meetings that provide professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals, collaborates with other Divisions and Groups in developing technical and non-technical content for topical and national meetings, encourages its members to participate in the activities of the Groups and Divisions that are closely related to their professional interests as well as in their local sections, introduces young members to the rules and governance structure of the Society, and nominates young professionals for awards and leadership opportunities available to members.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
Proving DRACO will deliver
The United States is now closer than it has been in over five decades to launching the first nuclear thermal rocket into space, thanks to DRACO—the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Orbit.
Franklin R. Chang Díaz
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 35 | Number 1 | January 1999 | Pages 87-93
Topical Review Lectures | doi.org/10.13182/FST99-A11963830
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) is described. As an open-ended, RF-heated, mirror-like plasma device, the system provides access to very high and variable plasma exhaust velocities of interest in high-speed interplanetary propulsion. The three-stage system is highly asymmetric and its value rests more in its capability as a power amplifier than as a plasma confinement device. During operation, a low-temperature, high-density plasma is generated in an injector which delivers it axially to a central heating stage. Once there, the flow is further heated to the desired conditions by ion cyclotron resonance techniques before exhausting it through a magnetic nozzle to provide modulated thrust. The system has been under study since 1980. At present, a multi-center theoretical and experimental program is under way, involving several research groups in the United States and which focuses on the development of the physics and engineering of these devices. This paper provides a status report of these activities, review the applicability of the technology, and examine new areas which should be addressed in the future.