Nuclear in Space: Powering the Future Beyond Earth

Hosted by the UNSW Nuclear Innovation Centre, this event brings engineering and legal perspectives into conversation at a defining moment in space exploration.

Artemis II has renewed attention to what comes next, as humanity looks to return to the Moon – and this time, to stay – before journeying onto Mars. But how will such ambitions be powered?

From nuclear reactors that could support a sustained human presence on the lunar surface to nuclear propulsion for deep space travel, nuclear technologies are central to these futures.

Join MIT Professor Koroush Shirvan in conversation with Dr Art Cotterell for a cross-disciplinary discussion on why nuclear in space is being revisited, how past and future use cases illuminate technical feasibility, how lessons in nuclear safety in space have influenced international law-making and cooperation, and what responsible and sustainable use might require.

Speaker bios

• Professor Koroush Shirvan is the Atlantic Richfield Career Development Professor in Energy Studies and Director of the Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives at MIT. He joined the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering in 2017 after serving as a principal research scientist at the Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems (CANES). His research advances nuclear fuels, reactor design and small modular reactors. He is also working with NASA on nuclear thermal propulsion, including the development of MIT test facilities designed to replicate the hot hydrogen flow and neutron flux experienced by nuclear rocket materials.
• Dr Art Cotterell is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Nuclear Law at the UNSW Faculty of Law and Justice, jointly funded by the UNSW Nuclear Innovation Centre. His research examines the power and politics shaping the law, regulation and governance of nuclear and space technologies. Before entering academia, he held executive-level advisor roles across the Australian Government and in civil society. His PhD explored the intersection of international space law and intellectual property, and questions of who benefits from space technologies.

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Host or Publisher UNSW Nuclear Innovation Centre