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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 15–18, 2026
Phoenix, AZ|Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
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Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2026
Latest News
Five companies, five bases: The Army’s Janus Program takes shape
Between the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses and Nuclear Energy Launch Pad programs, August has already been a busy month for federal partnerships with the nuclear industry.
That trend continues: On Wednesday, the Department of the Army announced that it has selected five nuclear reactor developers—Antares Nuclear, BWXT Advanced Technologies, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, Radiant Industries, and Westinghouse Government Services—each paired with a different military installation, for its Janus Program.
This week, the nuclear community descended on Dallas, Texas, for the second annual Nuclear Energy Conference and Expo, the premier industry-focused nuclear conference cohosted by the American Nuclear Society and the Nuclear Energy Institute. Among the plenary panelists was Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy, and environment. Waksman has been closely involved in the development of the Janus Program, and the morning before the program’s new selections were unveiled, he provided insights on its ultimate goals at NECX 2026.
Technical Session|Policy, Regulations, Safety, and Security
Tuesday, April 28, 2026|1:00–2:00PM EDT|Room 306
Session Chair:
Frank Putzu
Alternate Chair:
Annette Parks
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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)
Mission Pull and Fission Surface Power
1:12–1:18PM EDT
Frank A. Putzu (PNNL)
Impact Tests for the Americium-Based Radioisotope Heater Unit (Am-RHU)
1:18–1:24PM 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
1:24–1:30PM 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
1:30–1:36PM EDT
Vicky Ryan (JPL), Paul VanDamme (JPL), Douglas Isbell (NASA)
Closing the Gap: Policy Reforms Needed to Enable U.S. Space Nuclear Leadership
1:36–1:42PM EDT
John Jacobs (Zeno Power)
Payload Review and FAA Determination for Tritium Power Sources
1:42–1:48PM EDT
Peter Cabauy (City Labs), Kevin Makinson (Nuclear Consulting, LLC), Mark Stone (City Labs)