Key Events and Tours

Final Program now available!

Opening Plenaries - Monday, February 7

Opening Dinner at the Albuquerque Marriott (inc. in registration)
        Keynote Address: Glen Schmidt, retired, former test engineer for the SNAP-10a program

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Dinner at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History - Wednesday, February 9

Keynote Address: Dr. Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut, fmr. US Senator (New Mexico)

Currently Secretary-Designate of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department

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Technical Tours at Sandia National Laboratories - Thursday, February 10

Technical Tour availability limited, and not available after the early registration deadline of November 15^th - 

Sign up for the tours when selecting registration and payment options!

Opening Plenaries - Monday, February 7

Opening Plenary Session                                                                                 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Chairs: S. Bragg‐Sitton, Idaho National Laboratory

Welcome to NETS
Dr. Shannon Bragg-Sitton NETS 2011General Meeting Chairs
Historical Perspectives on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion
Mr. Harold Finger, retired, formerly held several key positions within AEC and NASA

Potential Mission Applications for Space Nuclear Systems
Dr. John Casani , NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Special Assistant to the Director

Current NASA Interest in Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion
Mr. Jim Adams, Deputy Director, Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters

Radioisotope Power Systems: The Quiet Technology 
Mr. Robert Lange, U.S. DOE, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Business and Technical Support 

Viable Development Strategies for Space Fission Power and Propulsion (Oral Presentation Only - no presentation avail.)

Dr. Michael Griffin, former NASA Administrator and 
King-McDonald Eminent Scholar for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville

Fluctuations in space exploration goals are a significant, non-technical obstacle for the end-to-end development and implementation of nuclear and emerging technologies for space exploration.  These goals are usually the premise upon which research is conducted, serving as the "foundation" from which all other "downstream" decision making stems.  When goals change mid-stream, research and development progress and accomplishments may become partially or completely inapplicable with respect to the new goals.  If goal fluctuations are more rapid than the time it takes for research efforts to manifest, then the capabilities the technology would have provided are not obtained.  The historical record indicates a cyclic nature in these fluctuations.   While research documentation can help to cumulatively build progress between cycles, in many cases at least some portion of the acquired knowledge and capability is lost during off-times, leading to a sometimes significant loss of progress.    
 
Explicitly addressing problems stemming from these cycles could be the first step in facilitating implementation of space nuclear systems and other technologies to completion.  This session will involve description of the policy making and technical development work environments; identification of problems, their causes, and possible solutions; and discussion of possible implementation strategies. 

Organizers: Dr. Shannon Bragg-Sitton, Idaho National Laboratory, and Dr. Elizabeth Newton, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Chair: Dr. Michael Griffin, former NASA Administrator and 
King-McDonald Eminent Scholar for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville

Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Newton, Univ of Alabama at Huntsville, Policy Research Program Director

Panelists: