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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
October 2026
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|Technology Research and Development
Thursday, April 30, 2026|1:00–2:00PM EDT|Room 306
Session Chair:
Nicholas Brooks
Alternate Chair:
Stephanie Manasterski
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Harnessing Cloud and AI to Accelerate Space Nuclear Technology Development
1:00–1:06PM EDT
Juan Carlos Lopez (Microsoft), Nelli Babayan (Microsoft)
Paper
Innovative UZrCN Synthesis by Nitrogen Heat Treatment of UZrC
1:06–1:12PM EDT
David Sanches (INL), James Zillinger (INL), Sarah Hamilton (INL)
ZrC Grain Growth at Conditions Relevant to Space Nuclear Propulsion
1:12–1:18PM EDT
Katherine Montoya (ORNL), Bryan Conry (ORNL), Wesley Jones (ORNL), Ryan Heldt (ORNL), Brandon Wilson (ORNL), Eddie Lopez-Honorato (ORNL)
Advancing Space Nuclear Fuel Development: A Comprehensive Strategy from Prototyping to Production
1:18–1:24PM EDT
Sabrina McCoy (BWX Technologies), Ryan Swanson (BWX Technologies)
Comprehensive Uncertainty Quantification Approach for First of Kind Space Reactors Neutronics Modeling
1:24–1:30PM EDT
Chase Lawing (BWX Technologies), Ryan Swanson (BWX Technologies), Andy Rivas (BWX Technologies)
Applying a Comprehensive Uncertainty Quantification Framework to U.S. Government Space Reactor Designs: Insights from Propulsion and Power Reactors
1:30–1:36PM EDT
Assessing Reactivity Uncertainty in Space Reactors Under Nuclear Data Limitations: Covariance Inconsistency, Missing Benchmarks, and Validation Gaps
1:36–1:42PM EDT
Ryan Swanson (BWX Technologies), Chase Lawing (BWX Technologies), Andy Rivas (BWX Technologies)