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Division Spotlight
Robotics & Remote Systems
The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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!
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2025
Nuclear Technology
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Latest News
Smarter waste strategies: Helping deliver on the promise of advanced nuclear
At COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, a clear consensus emerged: Nuclear energy must be a cornerstone of the global clean energy transition. With electricity demand projected to soar as we decarbonize not just power but also industry, transport, and heat, the case for new nuclear is compelling. More than 20 countries committed to tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. In the United States alone, the Department of Energy forecasts that the country’s current nuclear capacity could more than triple, adding 200 GW of new nuclear to the existing 95 GW by mid-century.
Technical Session|Panel|Radioisotope Power Systems
Tuesday, May 6, 2025|1:00–2:40PM CDT|Atlantis/Discovery/Columbia (Marriott)
Session Chair:
June Zakrajsek (Aerospace Corporation)
Session Organizer:
Jake Matthews (Zeno Power)
Track Organizer:
Harold Gerrish (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center)
As the global space community advances its lunar exploration goals, a key technology shortfall remains: ensuring survival and sustained operation through the lunar night. The Civil Space Technologies Shortfall survey identified this challenge as vital, yet it's one we already solved during the Apollo missions with the use of Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS). Despite RPS's proven ability to support long-duration missions through harsh lunar conditions, current deployments are limited to marquee NASA missions like New Frontiers and Mars Sample Return, leaving Artemis without a dedicated solution. Meanwhile, other space agencies-ESA, ISRO, and China's CNSA-are integrating RPS into their lunar roadmaps. For the first time, commercial entities are stepping up to provide RPS solutions, bridging the gap to supplement government-built systems and expand their utilization in space. These commercial RPS options offer potential not only for government-led initiatives like Artemis but also for future lunar commercial operations. But procuring commercial RPS is a new paradigm for NASA, and NASA will need to determine how it will procure these commercial RPS to solve its top technology shortfall. This panel brings together key stakeholders from across NASA's programs to discuss the demand, pathways, and potential acquisition models for commercial RPS. Panelists will explore procurement methods through programs such as NASA's CLPS/PRISM, the RPS Program, and direct acquisition from NASA projects. Insights from the excellent slate of panelists will provide a comprehensive view of the evolving landscape for RPS in supporting sustained lunar exploration.
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