The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. David Poston, Co-Founder of Space Nuclear Power Corporation (SpaceNukes), will discuss the company’s plans to evolve its reactor technology to 5-Mwe Mars surface power systems during the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 14-17, 2021.
SpaceNukes has developed a simple, stepwise evolutionary approach to high-power systems that is rooted in KRUSTY – the 1-kWe Kilopower system prototype that was successfully designed and developed in 2018, and was the first successful nuclear-powered test of a space reactor in the U.S. in >50 years.
Dr. Poston has spent his career at GE Nuclear Energy and the Los Alamos National Laboratory leading the design of small special purpose reactors for government and commercial applications. Numerous failed programs during his career has led Dr. Poston to change his focus from trying to design the best reactor on paper to the best reactor that can realistically be developed and deployed.
He received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, an M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan.
This year’s virtual Mars Society convention will be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For complete details, including online registration, a list of confirmed speakers, and sponsorship opportunities, please click here. Regular updates will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
