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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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August 2026
Latest News
The transformation of the NRC: 50 years of commissioners
The dust is beginning to settle following the whirlwind of changes at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the past year, and 2025 ultimately may be viewed as a transformative year, as well as the year the NRC celebrated its golden anniversary. The 12 months of that milestone year brought more change to the agency in its composition, its mandate, and its relationship to the executive branch than any comparable period in the preceding four decades.
Now at 51 years and counting, the NRC is working with a full commission and issuing new rulemakings to both regulate and support the next round of nuclear deployments. With the turbulence of 2025 still fresh in our minds, Nuclear News decided it was a good time to revisit the professional backgrounds of all 42 NRC commissioners who have served over the agency’s 50-year history to see how the composition of the commission has evolved over time.
Technical Session|Technology Research and Development
Tuesday, April 28, 2026|10:10–11:30AM EDT|Room 302/303/304
Session Chair:
Timothy Erickson
Alternate Chair:
Leo Gard
This session explores the ongoing evolution and critical testing of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) that are essential for long-duration space missions. Attendees will dive deep into the legacy and recent refurbishment of the General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) RTG Flight Unit 5, including its thermal vacuum testing and power performance predictions. Additionally, presentations will cover the current development status of the Next Generation RTG Mod 1, offering a comprehensive look at both our historical engineering foundations and future power systems.
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A Historical Review of the GPHS F5 RTG
10:10–10:30AM EDT
Boyd Allen Tolson (Univ. Dayton Research Institute), Kenton Sherick (Univ. Dayton Research Institute), Chadwick Barklay (Univ. Dayton Research Institute)
Paper
General-Purpose Heat Source Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator Flight Unit 5 Refurbished (GPHS-RTG F5R) Electrically Heated Thermal Vacuum Testing
10:30–10:50AM EDT
Joseph Giglio (INL), Brandon Horkley (INL), Jaymon Birch (INL), Shad Davis (INL)
General-Purpose Heat Source Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator Flight Unit 5 Refurbished (GPHS-RTG F5R) Power Prediction
10:50–11:10AM EDT
Joseph Giglio (INL)
The Next Generation Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator Mod 1 Development Status
11:10–11:30AM EDT
Jaymon C. Birch (INL), Shad E. Davis (INL), Joe Giglio (INL), T. Quinn Kirkham (INL)
