Nuclear Power
Abstract
In FY 2023, this project successfully established and optimized the first and only US commercial TRISO fabrication line which is foundational to the demonstration of the first advanced reactor funded by DOD - Pele. The successful demonstration of an advanced nuclear reactor for defense applications positions US military forces in a globally advantageous position over adversaries by providing safe, reliable, and transportable power to any location on earth. This project also finalized necessary agreements between performers and the Department of Energy (DOE) for procurement of national isotope stockpiles for technology development of new spaceflight and terrestrial nuclear defense platforms. P458 completed preliminary experimental methods of isotope production for aerospace propulsion applications, and also completed a space nuclear strategy study to better-inform near-term adoption of nuclear power in the theater of earth-orbit and cis-lunar space. OECI competitively awarded 4 new projects in FY 2023 to develop nuclear technologies in future capabilities for radioisotope power systems (RPS) for subsea power generation and transmission, RPS-powered spaceflight power beaming capabilities, spaceflight sensing devices, innovative moderator materials for fission reactors, and super-critical CO2 energy conversion technologies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- a3f36d767c5fd48e0357c2e2a5063301