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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
May 2026
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March 2026
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Latest News
NRC introduces microreactor regulatory framework
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has released a new licensing framework for microreactors and similar reactor designs that may provide a more suitable pathway for applicants with simpler technologies.
The proposed rule—known as Part 57—is the latest to come out of the NRC’s rules review and overhaul stemming from the ADVANCE Act and 2025 nuclear-related executive orders. It is also the latest framework developed for advanced reactor designs shifting away from light water reactor technology, such as the Part 53 rule finalized in March.
Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS 2026)
APL Research Scientist, Space Science
Johns Hopkins APL
Ralph L. McNutt Jr., Ph.D. is an APL Research Scientist for Space Science at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and one of the nation’s leading voices in planetary science, deep-space exploration, and advanced mission architecture.
A physicist by training, Dr. McNutt has played pivotal leadership roles across some of NASA’s most ambitious missions. He serves as Project Scientist and Co-Investigator for NASA’s MESSENGER mission to Mercury, Principal Investigator for the PEPSSI instrument aboard New Horizons to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, Co-Investigator for Solar Probe Plus (now Parker Solar Probe), and has contributed to both the Voyager and Cassini missions. He has also been a leading advocate for the development of an Interstellar Probe, advancing concepts for humanity’s first mission beyond the heliosphere.
Throughout his career, Dr. McNutt has supported numerous NASA science and technology definition teams, strategic review panels, and mission planning efforts, helping shape the future of solar system exploration and the role of advanced nuclear power and propulsion in enabling it.
He has authored more than 150 scientific and engineering papers, over 250 technical abstracts, and delivered more than 150 professional and public presentations. He earned his B.S. in Physics from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined APL in 1992 after previous roles with MIT, Sandia National Laboratories, and Visidyne, Inc.
Known for his visionary thinking and ability to connect technical innovation with humanity’s long-term future in space, Dr. McNutt continues to shape how we think about exploration beyond the planets—and beyond the Sun itself.
