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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.
John J. Newgard, Myron M. Levoy
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 7 | Number 4 | April 1960 | Pages 377-386
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE60-A25732
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The over-all design of a prototype nuclear rocket is described. For practical systems using uranium-loaded graphite for fuel elements within a graphitic core structure, and hydrogen as core coolant and propellant, it is possible to achieve specific impulses of at least 800 sec. The design of the reactor core, reflector, and nuclear controls are presented for a prototype design. The nuclear, heat transfer, and fluid flow considerations for a typical design are discussed. Reactor perturbations caused by fuel element ejection, corrosion-erosion, and hydrogen density changes are discussed. Some radiation hazards are considered. Nonreactor aspects of the rocket such as hydrogen handling and the coupling of the reactor to the rocket system are indicated.