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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Launching into tomorrow: NRIC guides new era of research and deployment
In June 2025, the Department of Energy announced the Reactor Pilot Program, an authorization pathway that allowed reactor developers to partner with the DOE to get first-of-a-kind (FOAK) reactors built and tested. Soon after, the DOE rolled out a complementary Fuel Line Pilot Program, which aimed to fast-track fuel projects. In all, 20 projects were accepted into the new programs.
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)