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 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2026
Nuclear Technology
July 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
D. Steiner
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 58 | Number 2 | October 1975 | Pages 107-165
Critical Review | doi.org/10.13182/NSE75-A28219
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this paper the major technological requirements for fusion power, as implied by current conceptual designs of fusion power plants, are elucidated and assessed. As the point of departure the four fusion reactor concepts that have been most thoroughly considered in these design studies are described; they are the mirror, the theta-pinch, the Tokamak, and the laser-pellet concepts. The required technology is discussed relative to three principal areas of concern: (a) the power balance, that is, the unique power handling requirements associated with the production of electrical power by fusion; (b) reactor design, focusing primarily on the requirements imposed by a tritium-based fuel cycle, thermal-hydraulic considerations, and magnet systems; and (c) materials considerations, including surface erosion, radiation effects, materials compatibility, and neutron-induced activation. The major conclusions of the paper are summarized in a final section where it is noted that research and development programs have been initiated to satisfy the technological requirements associated with the realization of commercial fusion power.