Nuclear scientists and environmental activists . . . collaborating?

Noah Rhys '93 is paid by NASA to dream up new ideas and technologies for space flight.

And though he spends plenty of time pondering nuclear-powered spacecraft, one of the more difficult projects he is working on is developing right here on Earth.

A propulsion research scientist at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Rhys is trying to open a dialogue between two very different groups — nuclear energy researchers and environmentalists.

"My involvement is trying to get research scientists to have conversations with the people who end up on the other side of the fence, literally, protesting space missions," Rhys said.

NASA research is very vulnerable to negative public opinion, Rhys said. "Whether or not the public will protest has an impact on our research," he said. "That's just the nature of public research."

Rhys' self-proclaimed "environmentalist streak" and his desire to create nuclear-powered spacecraft encouraged him to try to unite the two groups. He also has been recruiting University alumni currently serving in environmental organizations to promote discussion about nuclear power and space exploration.

"People began to discount projects because they were concerned that they would be strongly demonstrated against," he said. "We can change that."

Because misconceptions about nuclear power abound, Rhys believes it is particularly important to educate the public about the safety of nuclear materials on space missions.

"There is a real misunderstanding on the part of the public of what is actually dangerous in using nuclear stuff," he said, adding that scientists are partially to blame for the confusion.

Out of this world

The Cassini Spacecraft — which carries a record number of radioisotopes — was received poorly by environmental groups because its designer failed to get feedback from leading environmentalists early in the mission-planning process.

"Now scientists wait until it — like Cassini — is on the launch pad and then they try to decide how to deal with the [protesters] outside," he said.

The risks involved in using nuclear materials as fuel sources on space missions is relatively low, according to Michael Houts, who works with Rhys at the Marshall center. Houts said environmentalists must be convinced that, in the event of a launch accident, nuclear material would be effectively contained.

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Frank Von Hippel, a Wilson School professor, is a former director of the White House science and technology office and an expert on space applications of nuclear materials. In an interview yesterday, he said he is concerned about the potential dangers of using nuclear power for space missions.

"There are two concerns. One is an accident on takeoff — which I am less concerned about. The other is an accident in space," Von Hippel said. "If a plutonium accident occurred above our atmosphere, it could spread inhaleable plutonium particles across the Earth."

Though such a scenario is highly unlikely, NASA must consider the potential risks in evaluating whether to use nuclear materials. Improved nuclear material packaging techniques, such as graphite shielding, have dramatically reduced the risk of such an accident.

Houts said he believes nuclear power will be essential in future space exploration. "Nuclear power is the only way we currently have to generate large amounts of power deep in space," he said.

With current nuclear reaction techniques, one kilogram of uranium — enough to fill a coffee cup — could produce energy equaling eight of the external tanks on the space shuttle, Houts said.

Using nuclear power to generate energy will allow travel throughout the solar system to occur five times faster than it currently does, according to Houts. "Astronauts are demanding nuclear power because of all the benefits it offers," he said.

Nuclear power is viewed as the best power source for space travel, according to Rhys. "The goal is to create a spacecraft that operates more like an aircraft," he said. "By including environmentalists in the discussion, we can create better projects with increased safety."