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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
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Latest News
NRC proposed rule for licensing reactors authorized by DOE, DOD
Nuclear reactor designs approved by the Department of Energy or Department of Defense could get streamlined pathways through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s commercial licensing process should applicants wish to push the technology into the civilian sector.
A proposed rule introduced April 2 by the NRC would “improve NRC licensing review efficiency, where applicable, by explicitly establishing by regulation an additional means for reactor applicants to demonstrate the safety functions of their reactor designs, and thus, would contribute to the safe and secure use and deployment of civilian nuclear energy technologies.”
Technical Session|Policy, Regulations, Safety, and Security
Tuesday, April 28, 2026|1:00–2:00PM EDT|Room 306
Session Chair:
Susan S. Voss (GNNA LLC)
Alternate Chair:
Sarah Frazar (PNNL)
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Thin Film Isotope Nuclear Engine Rocket (TFINER) Preliminary Launch Safety Analysis
1:00–1:06PM EDT
Brian Casel (The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.), James Bickford (The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.)
Paper
Anticipating Cyber Threats to Space Nuclear Systems: Engineering and Policy Options
1:06–1:12PM EDT
Kathleen A. Doty (PNNL), David A. Koch (PNNL), Kevin M. Eldrige (PNNL)
Presented by Catrina Melograna (PNNL)
Integrated Risk Framework for Space Nuclear Power: Lessons from Terrestrial Safety Analysis
1:12–1:18PM EDT
Mission Pull and Fission Surface Power
1:18–1:24PM EDT
Frank A. Putzu (PNNL)
Impact Tests for the Americium-Based Radioisotope Heater Unit (Am-RHU)
1:24–1:30PM EDT
Alessandra Barco (Univ. Leicester), Ramy Mesalam (Univ. Leicester), Tony Crawford (Univ. Leicester), Richard Ambrosi (Univ. Leicester), Rob Tute (Univ. Leicester), Kris Bell (Univ. Leicester), Emily Jane Watkinson (Univ. Leicester), Adam White (Univ. Leicester), Joanna Lucas (Univ. Leicester), Pierre Coquay (ESA), Christophe Fongarland (ESA)
Strategic Messaging’s Impact on the Public’s Perception of Space Nuclear–Critical Role of the Community to Support Mission Success for All
1:30–1:36PM EDT
Kristin Jansen (NASA Glenn Research Center), Kerri Beisser (Aerospace Corp.), Margaret Simon (Aerospace Corp.), David Lam (ARES Technical Services Corporation)
Enabling Mission Success: Effective Joint Information Center (JIC) Communication During the Mars 2020 Launch
1:36–1:42PM EDT
Vicky Ryan (JPL), Paul VanDamme (JPL), Douglas Isbell (NASA)
Closing the Gap: Policy Reforms Needed to Enable U.S. Space Nuclear Leadership
1:42–1:48PM EDT
John Jacobs (Zeno Power)
Payload Review and FAA Determination for Tritium Power Sources
1:48–1:54PM EDT
Peter Cabauy (City Labs), Kevin Makinson (Nuclear Consulting, LLC), Mark Stone (City Labs)
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