ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Apr 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2026
Nuclear Technology
March 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
A year in orbit: ISS deployment tests radiation detectors for future space missions
The predawn darkness on a cool Florida night was shattered by the ignition of nine Merlin engines on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The thrust of the engines shook the ground miles away. From a distance, the rocket appeared to slowly rise above the horizon. For the cargo onboard, the launch was anything but gentle, as the ignition of liquid oxygen generated more than 1.5 million pounds of force. After the rocket had been out of sight for several minutes, the booster dramatically returned to Earth with several sonic booms in a captivating show of engineering designed to make space travel less expensive and more sustainable.
S. Y. Kazantsev, S. N. Kuznetsov, A. Y. Maksimov, N. V. Pchelkina
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 7 | October 2024 | Pages 893-903
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2024.2339662
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An analysis of the prospects for the use of atmospheric optical communication lines at industrial nuclear energy installations, including thermonuclear (fusion) reactors and energy facilities with on-site fuel reprocessing plants, was carried out. It is shown that modern atmospheric communication terminals make it possible to implement high-speed data exchange within the perimeter of energy complexes, as well as to provide an external backup communication channel protected by use of quantum key distribution technology. The absence of the need to lay special cables through limited-access areas to organize high-speed data transmission provides a significant advantage of atmospheric communication systems over any wired communication systems. A methodology is presented for assessing the feasibility of using atmospheric optical communications at nuclear facilities, and based on long-term meteorological observations in the area where ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is located, graphs of the availability of atmospheric communications are constructed. The high prospects of using atmospheric laser communication at nuclear and fusion facilities are shown.