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Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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!
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Proving DRACO will deliver
The United States is now closer than it has been in over five decades to launching the first nuclear thermal rocket into space, thanks to DRACO—the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Orbit.
Jericho W. Locke, Bhavya Lal
Nuclear Technology | Volume 206 | Number 8 | August 2020 | Pages 1109-1119
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2019.1680080
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Since the 1950s, the U.S. government has developed and launched a number of space-based nuclear systems based on both decay of radioisotopes and fission. While private entities have supported the development and launch of nuclear payloads as contractors, the federal government funded and drove the development and operation of such systems. In recent years, the private sector has developed interest in leading the development, launch, and use of nuclear technologies for space applications. This growth mirrors similar trends toward commercialization in the space sector as a whole. This paper investigates that private sector interest in space nuclear systems based on interviews with over a dozen companies in the space and nuclear industries. It presents a definition of commercial space activities, develops a model for the commercial use of space nuclear systems, and explores the status of commercial space nuclear activities in the United States. Our research finds that private sector capabilities in developing, testing, and operating space nuclear systems are growing but require the development of advanced nuclear technology, growth and diversification of the space economy, and government regulatory action.