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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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The deadline arrives: Checking in on the Reactor Pilot Program
On May 23, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14301, “Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the DOE,” which instructed the Department of Energy to create a Reactor Pilot Program (RPP)—a new system in which companies could pursue DOE authorization to build and test their first-of-a-kind nuclear technologies. EO 14301 set an ambitious goal for that program: three reactors achieving criticality by July 4, 2026.
R. A. Lewis, R. Newton, G. A. Smith, R. J. Kanzleiter
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 109 | Number 4 | December 1991 | Pages 411-415
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE91-A23866
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The concept of microfission, whereby a small target of fissile material is burned under compression, was introduced nearly 20 years ago; the size of the target is limited by the magnitude of the compression and by the initial number of fissions that start the chain reaction. A burst of antiprotons at maximum compression can allow target size to be significantly reduced. Antiprotons were previously shown to be a strong source of neutrons and pions; under conditions of high density, they enable a significant reduction in burn time and, hence, target size. Possible applications are discussed, including space propulsion and intense neutron and X-ray sources.