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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
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Fusion Science and Technology
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|Policy, Regulations, Safety, and Security
Tuesday, April 28, 2026|1:00–2:00PM EDT|Room 306
Session Chair:
Frank Putzu
Alternate Chair:
Annette Parks
To access paper attachments, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
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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)
