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
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Sep 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2025
Nuclear Technology
September 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
A webinar, and a new opportunity to take ANS’s CNP Exam
Applications are now open for the fall 2025 testing period for the American Nuclear Society’s Certified Nuclear Professional (CNP) exam. Applications are being accepted through October 14, and only three testing sessions are offered per year, so it is important to apply soon. The test will be administered from November 12 through December 16. To check eligibility and schedule your exam, click here.
In addition, taking place tomorrow (September 19) from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. (CDT), ANS will host a new webinar, “How to Become a Certified Nuclear Professional.” More information is available below in this article.
David F. Berganni, Robert R. Barthelemy
Nuclear Technology | Volume 1 | Number 1 | February 1965 | Pages 49-54
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT65-A20463
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A major safety requirement imposed by the AEC on the utilization of radioisotopes as heat sources in direct cycle thrustors is that the fuel temperature will never exceed its melting temperature. This design condition implies low thrustor thermal efficiency. One promising concept for recovering some of this energy loss is a combined thrustor and thermoelectric generator. Analytical investigations indicate that this combined unit powered by four kilowatts of radioisotope heat source can produce typically 0.1 pound thrust at specific impulses greater than 750 seconds and an electrical power output of 50 watts. Under no propellant flow (zero thrust) conditions, the same unit can provide 150 watts of electric power.