ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Standards Program
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
May 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Securing the advanced reactor fleet
Physical protection accounts for a significant portion of a nuclear power plant’s operational costs. As the U.S. moves toward smaller and safer advanced reactors, similar protection strategies could prove cost prohibitive. For tomorrow’s small modular reactors and microreactors, security costs must remain appropriate to the size of the reactor for economical operation.
Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS-2024) Plenary SPeaker
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Nix, United States Space Force, Space Nuclear Power Lead and Senior Military Advisor, Spacecraft Technology Division (RVS), Air Force Research Laboratory( AFRL), Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. As Senior Military Advisor, Lieutenant Colonel Nix provides leadership and direction for over 120 personnel (24 Military, 100 Civilians) conducting world class research across multiple portfolios to advance spacecraft technologies and oversight of a $238M annual budget across 33 technology programs. As Space Nuclear Power lead, Lt Col Nix provides oversight for $103M program advancing multiple technical areas including heat dissipation, power conversion, and nuclear power systems.
Lt Col Nix graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his commission in 2002. He began his career at Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) at Laughlin AFB, TX as a student pilot. Assignments following that include at Materials Directorate and Headquarters, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where he worked on advanced ceramics, polymers, and multiple aircraft material upgrades for F-22, JSF, C-17, RQ-4, and A-10. He also was the AFRL program lead for rapid runway expansion testing, USAF Body/Vehicle Armor Subject Matter Expert, X-51 Material Insertion, and the Executive Officer for the AFRL Commander during his tenure.
Following that assignment, Lt Col Nix transferred to Vandenberg AFB, CA where he worked on the initial Minotaur IV rocket launch along with 12 additional Minotaur I/IV launches to include Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) and Hypersonic Test Vehicle (HTV) 1 and 2, along with Group and Wing staff rotations. From there, he transferred to Los Angeles AFB, CA; where he was the Requirements Chief for the Global Positioning System (GPS) enterprise, balancing 4 ACAT- I program requirement changes and leading a $255M Systems Engineering support source selection and $32M/yr FFRDC support contract. Following that assignment, he was selected as technical lead for the Multi-Int Fusion Processing System and Sentient Operations Branch Chief at the National Reconnaissance Office in the Ground Enterprise Division. There he oversaw the development and execution of $238M/year budget and lead the transformation of Intelligence Community processing to the cloud and the adoption of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to enhance the National Overhead Systems Future Ground Architecture. Later, he transferred to Kirtland AFB, NM to lead the advanced analytics division at the Air Force Inspection Agency as well as deploying to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait as the Inspector General and Chief of External Oversight for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve before transferring to his current assignment in AFRL.
EDUCATION
2002 B.S, Aeronautical Engineering; United States Air Force Academy, CO
2002 B.S, Mechanical Engineering; United States Air Force Academy, CO
2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2005 M.S. Aeronautical Engineering, Auburn University, AL
2008 M.S. Data Analytics, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA
2008 Undergraduate Space Training (UST), Vandenberg AFB, CA
2008 Undergraduate Missile Maintenance Training, Vandenberg AFB, CA
2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2011 Space 200, National Space Security Institute, Colorado Springs, CO
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL (by correspondence)
2017 Space 300, National Space Security Institute, Colorado Springs, CO
2021 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL (by correspondence)
ASSIGNMENTS
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
2006 Advanced Materials Achievement Awards, Advanced Ceramics Group, AFRL/ML
2006 AFRL CGO of the Quarter x2
2006 Air Force Achievement Medal
2008 Air Force Commendation Medal
2009 30th Space Wing CGO of the Year
2011 Air Force Commendation Medal
2013 GPS Program Office FGO of the Year
2014 Joint Service Commendation Medal
2014 Defense Meritorious Service Medal
2017 Office of the Director of National Intelligence IC Team Lead of the Year
2017 Office of the Director of National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation, Sentient Operations Group
2020 Defense Meritorious Service Medal
2021 Armed Forces Service Medal
2022 Joint Service Commendation Medal
2022 Meritorious Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, 29 May 2002
First Lieutenant, 29 May 2004
Captain, 29 May 2006
Major, 1 May 2011
Lieutenant Colonel, 1 Mar 2017
Last modified November 6, 2023, 1:10pm MST
