Since 1972, Orbital and its predecessor companies have been providing technical engineering services to the Department of Energy (DOE) through the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (NE-50). Over that time, Orbital has supported NE-50 technological accomplishments in the areas of space nuclear power, terrestrial, and marine isotope power programs. Key to NE-50 support are Orbital’s engineering liaisons that have provided analysis and design services for safe launch and operations of numerous nuclear space power programs, including the Galileo, Ulysses and Cassini missions.
Current activities include:
Assessing NASA and DOE developments in nuclear power systems for current and prospective space missions
Assessing DOD and DOE developments in nuclear power systems for current and prospective terrestrial applications
Reviewing technical activities involved in space reactor power system applications
Providing nuclear safety analyses support for various missions
Providing nuclear power program scheduling assistance through the use of Primavera software
