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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Jul 2026
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
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August 2026
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Latest News
Researchers demonstrate remote real-time adjustment of PUR-1 reactor
The remote, automatic, real-time adjustment of a research reactor’s power by a geographically distributed control system has been reported by researchers from Idaho National Laboratory, the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign, and Purdue University. The investigators first used an automatic adjustment “digital control loop” system to demonstrate remote adjustments of Purdue’s PUR-1 research reactor. They then applied a reinforcement learning model that simulates the interaction of physical forces inside the reactor, making the loop system more autonomous.
Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS-2022) Plenary SPeaker
Chief Executive Officer and co-founder
Dark Fission
Dr. Fred Kennedy is Dark Fission’s Chief Executive Officer and co-founder. He served as the President of the space tug builder Momentus from September 2020 until January 2022. Prior to this, Fred worked at Astra as the company’s Vice President for Future Missions, focusing on small satellite production capabilities. He left federal service in 2019, after standing up the U. S. Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) Space Development Agency (SDA), established by Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan.
From 2017 until he became the SDA Director, Dr. Kennedy was the Director of the Tactical Technology Office (TTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Before this, he served as the senior policy advisor for national security space and aviation in the National Security and International Affairs Division of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). In this role, Dr. Kennedy advised the President of the United States on matters related to space and aviation policy. He is active on multiple aerospace company advisory boards. Dr. Kennedy contributes to Forbes Online, primarily on space and defense issues.
Dr. Kennedy served over 23 years in the United States Air Force, where he retired as a colonel. During his tenure, he served as a Senior Materiel Leader in both the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center’s Remote Sensing Directorate and the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center’s Battle Management Directorate. Prior to that, he was the lead for Space Requirements with the Joint Staff/J-8 in the Capabilities and Acquisition Division at the Pentagon and a chief for Spacecraft Payload Development and Test and Satellite Systems and Acquisition at the National Reconnaissance Office. From 2005 to 2008, while still in the Air Force, Dr. Kennedy served as a program manager at DARPA, where he created and managed efforts around spacecraft and satellite servicing, advanced space power and propulsion systems, and innovative space technologies.
Dr. Kennedy holds a Ph.D. in electronics and physical sciences from the University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom; a Master of Arts in organizational management from George Washington University; a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College; and Master and Bachelor of Science degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Last modified April 18, 2022, 2:52pm EDT
