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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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The human factor in licensing and operating the next generation of nuclear plants
As human factors specialists working at the intersection of human performance and nuclear operations, we are witnessing one of the nuclear sector’s most significant transitions in decades. The emergence of small modular reactors, microreactors, and other advanced designs is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Digital instrumentation and controls, passive safety systems, and increased automation are creating opportunities for greater safety margins and more flexible operation. These same features also fundamentally redefine what it means to “operate” a nuclear plant. Interactions among human roles, automation, and passive systems shape how people maintain awareness, exercise judgment, and intervene when necessary. These developments affect both operational realities and the regulatory foundations on which nuclear safety is built.
Technical Session|Fission Surface Power
Wednesday, May 7, 2025|1:00–2:40PM CDT|Salon EF (Marriott)
Session Chair:
Mark Lefebvre (NASA Glenn Research Center)
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Greg Fedor (NASA Glenn Research Center)
Track Organizer:
Harold Gerrish (Marshall Space Flight Center)
Space fission power systems will require extensive developmental and qualification testing prior to launch and in-space operations. This technical session will offer insight into several recent test efforts, including discussions of the test preparations, design and fabrication of test support equipment, and summaries of test results. Presenter bios: Luke Hansen is a Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee Knoxville studying advanced fabrication techniques of thermoelectric materials for radioisotope thermoelectric generators.
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Design Methodology of a Pressurized Irradiation Test Apparatus for Stirling Convertor Organics in the Fission Surface Power Project
1:00–1:25PM CDT
Luke R. Hansen (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Tyler R. Steiner (NASA Glenn Research Center), Brandon A. Wilson (ORNL), Michael T. Barron (Jacobs Technology)
Paper
Preliminary Findings of Lunar Dust Testing on Radiator Performance
1:25–1:50PM CDT
Ronald Leibach (NASA), Greeta Thaikattil (NASA), James Sanzi (HX5, LLC), Meghan Bush (NASA)
Impedance Spectroscopy for Unraveling Self-Healing Mechanisms in Half-Heusler Thermoelectric Alloys
1:50–2:15PM CDT
Oliver Jeffery (Univ. Leicester), Agostino Maurotto (Univ. Leicester), Pierluigi Chiovaro (Univ. Palermo), Pietro Alessandro Di Maio (Univ. Palermo), Richard M. Ambrosi (Univ. Leicester), Ramy Mesalam (Univ. Leicester)
