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 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
60 Years of U: Perspectives on resources, demand, and the evolving role of nuclear energy
Recent years have seen growing global interest in nuclear energy and rising confidence in the sector. For the first time since the early 2000s, there is renewed optimism about the industry’s future. This change is driven by several major factors: geopolitical developments that highlight the need for secure energy supplies, a stronger focus on resilient energy systems, national commitments to decarbonization, and rising demand for clean and reliable electricity.
Kenneth A. Solomon, Robert C. Erdmann, David Okrent
Nuclear Technology | Volume 25 | Number 1 | January 1975 | Pages 68-71
Technical Paper | Reactor Siting | doi.org/10.13182/NT75-A24349
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A method and statistics given by V. E. Blake have been employed to estimate the probability per year that a nuclear reactor could be seriously damaged by a meteorite strike. The probability per year that a target area of 104 ft2 will be struck by a meteorite weighing more than a pound is estimated to be 4.3 × 10−9 per reactor year. However, only a fraction of these meteorites, corresponding to weights exceeding 100 lb (0.05 ton), is very likely to seriously damage or destroy the reactor to the point of an uncontrolled release of fission products. For a vulnerable target area of 104 ft2, this probability is estimated to be 7× 10−10 per reactor year. If the vulnerable target area per reactor were 102 ft2, the probability of serious damage is estimated to be 7 × 10−9 per reactor year. The probability that a coastal plant will suffer serious damage arising from either a direct hit of a meteorite or from a tidal wave induced by a meteorite is estimated to be of the order of 9 × 10−10 per reactor year for a target area of 104ft2.