CSNR Summer Fellowship

For undergraduates and graduate students
Note: the applications deadline is 15 March.

The Center for Space Nuclear Research is accepting applications for Summer Fellowships. The goal of the Summer Fellowship program is to provide participants an opportunity to learn and evaluate current issues involving nuclear power and propulsion technologies for space exploration. This year’s primary project will be to evaluate the application of using a nuclear thermal rocket to support a Lunar Outpost.

The Fellowships will be granted for roughly 10 weeks and will be stationed at the CSNR in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

The 2006 program is composed of three different opportunities:

1) support INL staff in experimental work on fabricating refractory nuclear fuels;

2) support INL staff in risk analysis and human factors assessment;

3) operate as part of a team for CSNR to evaluate the potential performance of a nuclear thermal rocket in supporting a Lunar Outpost.

Fellows electing to work on the fuels fabrication effort will assist INL staff in producing tungsten cermet samples of varying constituency. The samples will be assessed for characteristic properties and may be used as targets for hot hydrogen testing.

Fellows chosen to work on the risk analysis and human factors effort will assist INL staff on projects currently funded by NASA on either chemical or nuclear propulsion systems.

The Lunar Outpost study will entail Fellows operating as a team or group of teams to evaluate technology options, sub-systems, performance, development costs, and mission options, in essence, concept evaluation through implementation. The results of the summer project will be presented to NASA headquarters. Fellows working on task 1 and task 2 will also participate in the study effort as available.

During the summer, speakers from NASA centers, DOE labs, and industry will present their interests in a weekly seminar series. In addition, INL staff will be available to the team to act as mentors on different technical topics.

An office, computer, and phone will be provided to each Fellow. Low cost housing is available within a short distance of the facilities. A stipend will be granted to each participant depending upon grade level: $500/wk, $600/wk, $700/wk for upper-level undergraduates (50+ credits), master’s level, and PhD level, respectively.

Applications are available on-line by going to the CSNR main page http://www.csnr.usra.edu. The application deadline will be March 15, 2006.

Dr. Steven D. Howe
Director
Center for Space Nuclear Research
PO Box 1625, MS 3855
2525 Fremont Ave., Room 304
Idaho Falls, ID 83415-3855

Office: 208-526-6103
Mobile: 208-569-2424