Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS)

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮 As #NETS2026 comes to a close, thank you to everyone who participated, presented, exhibited, asked hard questions, and helped make this week such a success. A special thank you to Dr. Chadwick Barklay, Eileen Cullen, Desiree Dolecki, CMP, and the entire teams at the University of Dayton Research Institute, American Nuclear Society, Dayton Convention Center, and the National Museum of the United States Air Force for hosting and helping bring this community together. Thank you to our excellent speakers, including Dr. Aaron Miles, Dr. Rian Bahran, Dr. Nigel Bannister, Dr. Megan Dillon, Dr. Bhavya Lal, Dr. Clive Neal, and Dr. Ralph McNutt, for bringing insight, urgency, and leadership to the NETS 2026 program. It was an honor to host such an impressive group of individuals working together to build the future of space nuclear. The momentum is real and now the work continues. For those looking to keep the conversation going, consider attending the American Geophysical Union meeting this year as we work to build a larger space nuclear community presence at #AGU. 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐎𝐡𝐢𝐨! NASA Glenn Research Center

Banquet time! Please join us at the National Museum of the United States Air Force with Cap off a week of cutting-edge technical exchange and forward-looking discussion at Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS) with an unforgettable evening at one of the most iconic venues in aerospace history. On Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT, join your peers for the Banquet at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (offsite) in Dayton, Ohio. Busses will load at 5:30 pm at the Dayton Convention Center. Bus service will depart from the Museum at 9pm. Drop off locations include the Central hotels and Dayton Convention Center. Bus Service concludes at 9:00 pm, but the museum will remain open until 10:00 pm, so plan transportation accordingly. Steve Bowen is a veteran NASA astronaut, retired U.S. Navy Captain, and the first submarine officer ever selected by NASA as an astronaut. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in ocean engineering from the joint Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution program, Bowen built his early career as a naval submariner before joining NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 2000. He has flown four space missions and logged more than 227 days in space, serving on three Space Shuttle missions—STS-126, STS-132, and STS-133—and most recently as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station in 2023. During his missions, he helped deliver critical station hardware, expand crew living capacity aboard the ISS, and supported long-duration scientific operations as part of Expedition 69. Across his career, Bowen has conducted 10 spacewalks and is widely respected for his leadership, operational excellence, and calm precision under pressure—qualities forged both beneath the ocean and beyond Earth’s atmosphere. His journey from submarines to spaceflight reflects a career defined by technical mastery, discipline, and service at the highest level of exploration. See you there!

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡 𝐌𝐜𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐭’𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. Starting at 4:00 PM ET, Dr. McNutt will connect lessons from the past, dating back to World War II, to today’s space nuclear capabilities, including the radioisotope power systems (#RPS) program and the science it continues to support. In rocket science, mass is always a mission-defining constraint. Nuclear propulsion changes what can be possible when conventional architectures start to run out of margin. This keynote will be a historically grounded, forward-looking discussion of a critical point: nuclear has been part of the space propulsion story from the beginning, and it will be essential to the next generation of exploration. 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐭 4:00 𝐏𝐌 𝐄𝐓. Dayton Convention Center. Dayton, OH April 27–30, 2026 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 '@𝐍𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞' 𝐨𝐫 '#𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐒2026'! Hosted by American Nuclear Society and University of Dayton Research Institute #NETS2026 #SpacePower #NuclearEnergy #LunarInfrastructure #DeepSpace #Aerospace #Innovation #SpaceEconomy #LunarExploration #NuclearPropulsion #NewSpace #SurviveTheNight #SpacePolicy #FSP #NEP #NTP #UDRI #SR1Freedom #SpacePolicy #NuclearInSpace #LunarInfrastructure #NASA #Energy #FutureOfSpace

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 #𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐫. Clive Neal. Building on Nigel Bannister’s earlier discussion of how Apollo engineered lunar surface science, Dr. Neal will look forward to Artemis and the science we need nuclear power on the Moon to enable. #Apollo showed us what was possible. #Artemis needs to show us what is sustainable. From long-duration surface operations to the science required to prepare for Mars, this talk will focus on what lunar nuclear power must actually do: enable persistent exploration, deeper discovery, and mission architectures that can operate beyond short-duration sorties. Grab lunch and join us for a forward-looking conversation on the #Moon, #Mars, and the power systems needed to connect them. The last day here at #NETS2026 and you won't want to miss it. Dayton Convention Center. Dayton, OH April 27–30, 2026 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 '@𝐍𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞' 𝐨𝐫 '#𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐒2026'! Hosted by American Nuclear Society and University of Dayton Research Institute #NETS2026 #SpacePower #NuclearEnergy #LunarInfrastructure #DeepSpace #Aerospace #Innovation #SpaceEconomy #LunarExploration #NuclearPropulsion #NewSpace #SurviveTheNight #SpacePolicy #FSP #LR1 #NEP #NTP #UDRI #SR1Freedom #SpacePolicy #NuclearInSpace #LunarInfrastructure #NASA #Energy #FutureOfSpace

Rian Bahran, Ph.D.'s keynote built directly on the policy momentum Dr. Aaron Miles highlighted earlier this week and made clear how that momentum is translating into execution. His remarks described the critical work the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is doing to enable new nuclear systems broadly, and space nuclear systems specifically. From advancing the technical foundation to supporting the infrastructure, capabilities, and partnerships needed for deployment, DOE’s role is central to turning policy direction into real progress. The message was clear: the conditions are aligning, the mission need is urgent, and the next step is delivery. A strong keynote that kept the energy high and the conversation focused on what it will take to build and field the next generation of nuclear systems. Dayton Convention Center. Dayton, OH April 27–30, 2026 Please tag us on a picture when you get here! Hosted by American Nuclear Society and University of Dayton Research Institute #NETS2026 #SpacePower #NuclearEnergy #LunarInfrastructure #DeepSpace #Aerospace #Innovation #SpaceEconomy #LunarExploration #NuclearPropulsion #NewSpace #SurviveTheNight #SpacePolicy #FSP #NEP #NTP #UDRI #SR1Freedom #SpacePolicy #NuclearInSpace #LunarInfrastructure #NASA #Energy #FutureOfSpace

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 4:00 𝐏𝐌 𝐄𝐓 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐲𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐥’𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫. Bhavya will challenge one of the most overused ideas in innovation: that being first always matters. Most firsts are vanity. But some firsts create lasting structural advantage, and the first operational surface reactor at the lunar south pole may be one of them. This is not just a technical conversation. It is a strategic briefing on where leadership in nuclear, space, and national security will be won or lost. Global competitors are moving, the window is narrowing, and the stakes are real. Our ongoing discussion about space nuclear policy and urgency continues to build this week at #NETS2026. Dayton Convention Center. Dayton, OH April 27–30, 2026 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 '@𝐍𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞' 𝐨𝐫 '#𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐒2026'! Hosted by American Nuclear Society and University of Dayton Research Institute #NETS2026 #SpacePower #NuclearEnergy #LunarInfrastructure #DeepSpace #Aerospace #Innovation #SpaceEconomy #LunarExploration #NuclearPropulsion #NewSpace #SurviveTheNight #SpacePolicy #FSP #NEP #NTP #UDRI #SR1Freedom #SpacePolicy #NuclearInSpace #LunarInfrastructure #NASA #Energy #FutureOfSpace

Join us for lunch and our next #NETS2026 presentation featuring Dr. Megan Dillon. This week marks 40 years since the Chornobyl disaster, a defining event that reshaped how the world thinks about nuclear risk, resilience, and responsibility. Dr. Dillon’s work brings a unique perspective to that legacy by studying the free-ranging dog populations living in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, descended from pets left behind after the evacuation. Her research sits at the intersection of radiation biology, genomics, evolutionary medicine, and environmental health. By studying how organisms adapt across generations to chronic radiation exposure, she is helping answer questions that matter for life on Earth and for biological resilience in extreme environments beyond it. For a conference focused on long-duration space exploration and nuclear-enabled missions, this is a timely and important conversation. Grab lunch and join us for Dr. Megan Dillon’s talk. Dayton Convention Center. Dayton, OH April 27–30, 2026 Please tag us on a picture when you get here! Hosted by American Nuclear Society and University of Dayton Research Institute #NETS2026 #SpacePower #NuclearEnergy #LunarInfrastructure #DeepSpace #Aerospace #Innovation #SpaceEconomy #LunarExploration #NuclearPropulsion #NewSpace #SurviveTheNight #SpacePolicy #FSP #NEP #NTP #UDRI #SR1Freedom #SpacePolicy #NuclearInSpace #LunarInfrastructure #NASA #Energy #FutureOfSpace

Join us for lunch today at #NETS2026 and a featured talk from Nigel Bannister on how Apollo engineered science into the lunar surface mission. Apollo was not built around science first. It was a large-scale engineering program driven by reliability, crew safety, schedule, and risk. But within those constraints, Apollo created a durable model for how meaningful lunar surface science could happen: through integrated systems thinking. Nigel’s talk will trace the path from early robotic missions to the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package, showing how power, thermal control, deployment, autonomy, and long-duration operation shaped the science that was possible. At the center of that story is nuclear power on the Moon - not as a technology showcase, but as a practical solution for surviving the lunar night and enabling sustained geophysical observatories whose returns continued long after Apollo ended. Grab lunch and join the conversation. This is exactly the kind of history-to-future perspective that makes NETS such a valuable forum. American Nuclear Society University of Dayton Research Institute Space Park Leicester University of Leicester

𝐘𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐒. His remarks reinforced the momentum already building across the space nuclear community while making the stakes very clear: the next three years are a critical window to turn alignment, investment, and technical progress into real-world impact. Dr. Aaron Miles reiterated that the administration has set the conditions for success through #SPD6, #NSPM20, #EO14369, and most recently #NSTM3. Now it is up to our community to seize the moment and get radioisotope power systems (#RPS) and reactors built (#SR1Freedom, #LR1). We had a great turnout for the first keynote, and Dr. Miles did not disappoint. He brought the right mix of urgency, clarity, and ambition - and definitely set the bar high for the rest of this week’s programming. An excellent start to a consequential week at #NETS2026. Dayton Convention Center. Dayton, OH April 27–30, 2026 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 '@𝐍𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞' 𝐨𝐫 '#𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐒2026'! Hosted by American Nuclear Society and University of Dayton Research Institute SPD-6: https://lnkd.in/gkGY6T6G NSPM-20: https://lnkd.in/gZsDSqHp EO 14369: https://lnkd.in/gfR7mzfP NSTM-3: https://lnkd.in/en3HBDiV #NETS2026 #SpacePower #NuclearEnergy #LunarInfrastructure #DeepSpace #Aerospace #Innovation #SpaceEconomy #LunarExploration #NuclearPropulsion #NewSpace #SurviveTheNight #SpacePolicy #FSP #NEP #NTP #UDRI #SR1Freedom #SpacePolicy #NuclearInSpace #LunarInfrastructure #NASA #Energy #FutureOfSpace

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 (𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐒) 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐎𝐡𝐢𝐨. 𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡. Your first stop (if you were one of the lucky ones to get registered): the Consensus Standards for Radioisotope Heat and Power Sources Workshop starting at 2:00 PM ET in Room 302/303/304 at the Dayton Convention Center. At the same time, registration and exhibit setup will open in the Gem City Ballroom and Foyer so you can get checked in and start making connections immediately. Strong start, high-impact conversations ahead. See you there. Dayton Convention Center. Dayton, OH April 27–30, 2026 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞! Hosted by American Nuclear Society and University of Dayton Research Institute #NETS2026 #SpacePower #NuclearEnergy #LunarInfrastructure #DeepSpace #Aerospace #Innovation #SpaceEconomy #LunarExploration #NuclearPropulsion #NewSpace #SurviveTheNight #SpacePolicy #FSP #NEP #NTP #UDRI #SR1Freedom #SpacePolicy #NuclearInSpace #LunarInfrastructure #NASA #Energy #FutureOfSpace