Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS-2022) Plenary SPeaker

John Foster

Professor

The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

John Foster has worked in the area of advanced space propulsion for 30 years dating back to his undergraduate days as a summer intern at NASA Glenn on gridded ion thrusters. His research includes in-space propulsion technologies ranging from gridded ion thrusters to MPD thrusters as well as gas and liquid core nuclear thermal rockets. He worked on advanced propulsion for nearly 10 years as an employee at NASA before moving to the University of Michigan. At NASA GRC, he served as the ion thruster (HIPEP) principle investigator for the JIMO NEP mission. He also worked on an interstellar precursor high power ion engine as NASA GRC as well. He continued this research at Michigan and extended research effort into space nuclear power and propulsion systems as well. In parallel he has developed as a space nuclear power and propulsion design course. He has also carried out research relevant to space in situ resource utilization including water recycling/purification and plastics waste recycling using plasmas.