Background

The need to strengthen the nation's workforce and attract and retain students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines has been well-documented.

By creating opportunities for university researchers to collaborate with their industry and government agency counterparts, it is possible to see an increase in overall graduation rates, the number advanced degrees completed and an increase in career placement within the student's field of study.

Interestingly, the benefits of collaborative research do not end there. According to Dr. Steven Howe, Director of the Center for Space Nuclear Research (CSNR), "...the advantages for the CSNR of working with universities are the innovative ideas generated by the younger generations. Students tend to think up brand new ideas the rest of the scientific community may think impossible. The advantage for the students is the pragmatic education they get for future employment."

Solution

Each summer, the Center for Space Nuclear Research (CSNR) Summer Fellowship Program invites undergraduate and graduate level students to experience cutting-edge research in nuclear power and propulsion technologies during a 10-week program. As CSNR Summer Fellows, participants work as part of a team of students and with scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to complete research projects of current interest to NASA, Department of Homeland Security, and INL. The Summer Fellows program allows students to experience a real research environment, to learn from top-notch nuclear scientists, and to preview careers in research. Throughout the program, the Fellows are asked to make short presentations of the results of their research and a final oral and written presentation to the laboratory management.

Results

Faced with the limited duration and power of traditional fuels, industry and government alike are looking to alternative, more efficient energy sources. One such alternative, nuclear power, could reduce the number of launches needed to carry heavy payloads to the Moon, reduce travel time to Mars, and reduce or eliminate the need for refueling during extended missions here on Earth and in space.

Since the Fellowship Program's inception in 2006, selected students from across the country have explored nuclear technology by: investigating potential benefits of using a nuclear rocket to support a Lunar Outpost, designing a mobile Fission Surface Power reactor for the lunar surface; fabricating refractory nuclear fuels (fuels encapsulated in a protective tungsten shell); examining the issues involved in using alternative radioisotopes, advanced power conversion methods and alternative production mechanisms; and developing concepts for radioisotope-powered UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and UUVs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles).

For more information about the CSNR Summer Fellowship Program and the results of the research conducted, please visit:

• CSNR Summer Fellowship Program
• INL Newsroom