Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago
Description: The video recording of RIC 2025 Technical Session: TH24 - One Giant Leap for Humankind: Using Nuclear Power to Explore Space. Just as it does on Earth, nuclear technology offers the opportunity to enhance capabilities in space. For over half a century, there have been nuclear-enabled space missions relying on the technology as a source of power in remote environments. Fission reactors now offer opportunities to improve propulsion and play a key role in establishing surface power for missions on both the Moon and Mars. With those opportunities, however, come potential new safety questions and industry standards to address them. This session featured speakers from the government and commercial industry who provided insight into the evolving regulatory field, current industry standard initiatives, the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Board, and nuclear-enabled space projects on the horizon.
SPEAKER(S):
Victor Hall, Deputy Director, Division of Systems Analysis, RES/NRC, Opening Remarks
Lindsay Kaldon, Fission Surface Power Project Manager, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA's Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project
Joe Halackna, eVinci Chief Technologist, Westinghouse Electric Company
Space Nuclear Testing & Development of Standards
Tina Ghosh, Senior Reactor Systems Engineer, Accident Analysis Branch, Division of Systems Analysis, RES/NRC
Guidance for Space Fission Reactor Safety Reviews in Different Mission Phases
Kevin Lee, Senior Project Officer, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
CNSC, DIET and Space Based Nuclear
SESSION COORDINATOR(S):
Steven Shockley, Reactor Systems Scientist, Accident Analysis Branch, Division of Systems Analysis, RES/NRC e-mail: Steven.Shockley@nrc.gov
Description: The video recording of RIC 2025 Technical Session: TH24 - One Giant Leap for Humankind: Using Nuclear Power to Explore Space. Just as it does on Earth, nuclear technology offers the opportunity to enhance capabilities in space. For over half a century, there have been nuclear-enabled space missions relying on the technology as a source of power in remote environments. Fission reactors now offer opportunities to improve propulsion and play a key role in establishing surface power for missions on both the Moon and Mars. With those opportunities, however, come potential new safety questions and industry standards to address them. This session featured speakers from the government and commercial industry who provided insight into the evolving regulatory field, current industry standard initiatives, the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Board, and nuclear-enabled space projects on the horizon.
SPEAKER(S):
Victor Hall, Deputy Director, Division of Systems Analysis, RES/NRC, Opening Remarks
Lindsay Kaldon, Fission Surface Power Project Manager, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA's Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project
Joe Halackna, eVinci Chief Technologist, Westinghouse Electric Company
Space Nuclear Testing & Development of Standards
Tina Ghosh, Senior Reactor Systems Engineer, Accident Analysis Branch, Division of Systems Analysis, RES/NRC
Guidance for Space Fission Reactor Safety Reviews in Different Mission Phases
Kevin Lee, Senior Project Officer, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
CNSC, DIET and Space Based Nuclear
SESSION COORDINATOR(S):
Steven Shockley, Reactor Systems Scientist, Accident Analysis Branch, Division of Systems Analysis, RES/NRC e-mail: Steven.Shockley@nrc.gov
