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Division Spotlight
Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
May 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
NWMO chooses vendors for Canadian repository
Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization has selected five companies it is to work with to design and plan the organization’s proposed deep geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel. As the owner of the project, the NWMO will be working with WSP Canada, Peter Kiewit Sons (Kiewit), Hatch Ltd., Thyssen Mining Construction of Canada, and Kinectrics.
Technical Session|Space Nuclear Propulsion
Tuesday, May 6, 2025|3:15–4:55PM CDT|SPOC B (Space & Rocket Center)
Session Chair:
Tim Duquette (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center)
Track Organizer:
Harold Gerrish (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center)
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A Space Propulsion Concept Based on Inertial Confinement for Nuclear Fusion Using a Polywell Geometry
3:15–3:21PM CDT
Preeti Nair (Univ. North Dakota), Marcos Fernandez-Tous (Univ. North Dakota), Sreejith Vidhyadharan (Univ. North Dakota)
Paper
Impact of Carbon Stoichiometry on (U,Zr)C Thermophysical Properties
3:21–3:27PM CDT
J.C. Schaeperkoetter (LANL), S. Widgeon Paisner (LANL), K.J. McClellan (LANL), J.T. White (LANL), B. Taylor (NASA), J. Rosales (NASA), E. Kardoulaki (LANL)
Performance of Zrc at Conditions Relevant to Space Nuclear Propulsion
3:27–3:33PM CDT
Eddie Lopez-Honorato (ORNL), Katherine Montoya (ORNL), Wesley Jones (ORNL), Ryan Heldt (ORNL), Bryan Conry (ORNL), Brandon Wilson (ORNL), Emily Hutchins (ORNL), N. Dianne Ezell Bull (ORNL)
Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) Engine Ground Testing Status
3:33–3:39PM CDT
Lindsey Holmes (AMA), Marcus Neeley (Jacobs Space Exploration Group), James Rector (New Horizons 5)
Application of Transient Fission Chain Matrix Methodology to Multiphysics Analysis of Nuclear Thermal Rockets
3:39–3:45PM CDT
Jacob Stonehill (AMA)
Synthesis and Microstructure Evolution of Transition Element Mixed Actinide Carbides for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
3:45–3:51PM CDT
Geronimo Robles (LANL), Shane Mann (LANL), Benjamin Walusiak (LANL), Erofili Kardoulaki (LANL), Najeb Abdul-Jabbar (LANL)
Overcoming Barriers for Reuseable Ground to Orbit Thermal Nuclear Rocketry
3:51–3:57PM CDT
Adrian Tymes (CubeCab), Trevor Hehn (Hehn Law), Troy Howe (Howe Industries), Stylianos Chatzidakis (Purdue Univ.)
Presentation Video (Visible to Attendees)
The Evolution of Inadvertent Criticality Analyses from Project Rover to Today
3:57–4:03PM CDT
Russell Johns (LANL), Andrew Prince (LANL)
Reduced-Order Neutronics: Bridging Speed and Fidelity for Real-Time Nuclear Propulsion Simulations
4:03–4:09PM CDT
Robert Demuth (Univ. South Carolina), Travis Knight (Univ. South Carolina)
ZrC-NbC-TaC Solid Solutions for Carbon-Carbon Heat Exchange Tubes for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Fuel Elements
4:09–4:15PM CDT
Mark Opeka (Kratos SRE), Ben Kowalski (NASA Langley Research Center)
Evaluation of Candidate Carbide Coatings for Carbon-Carbon Heat Exchange Tubes for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Applications
4:15–4:21PM CDT
Valerie Wiesner (NASA Langley Research Center), Julia Cline (NASA Langley Research Center), Elora Kurz (NASA Langley Research Center), Benjamin Kowalski (NASA Glenn Research Center), Anthony Calomino (NASA Headquarters), Christopher Hill (CvdTek)
Thermal-hydraulics Modeling for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Simulator
4:21–4:27PM CDT
Jackson Zazzaro (Univ. South Carolina), Travis Knight (Univ. South Carolina), Ruixian Fang (Univ. South Carolina)
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