January 2026: MIT Hosts Aerospace Nuclear Engineering Course over IAP
Students in the NSE and AeroAstro departments at MIT have worked together to coordinate a course titled “Aerospace Nuclear”. Over the course of six lectures, leading industry experts share their real world experience in topics including fission surface power, nuclear electric propulsion, air breathing nuclear propulsion, and nuclear thermal propulsion.
January 11, 2026: NSE Student Featured in MIT News Article
Taylor Hampson, a master’s student in the Nuclear Science and Engineering Department working on Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Technologies, was recently featured in an MIT News article. The article documents his effort to advance the field of advanced space propulsion and recent accomplishments with his research. The full article may be found here: https://news.mit.edu/2026/taylor-hampson-fueling-research-nuclear-thermal-propulsion-0111
July 30, 2025: Welcoming Dr. Jake Hecla to the MIT AeroAstro and NSE faculty
Over the summer Prof. Julie Shah, the Department Head of Aeronautics and Astronautics, announced that Dr. Jake Hecla will be joining the department as a Charles Stark Draper Career Development Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, with a dual appointment in Nuclear Science and Engineering. Dr. Hecla will officially start on July 1, 2026. Dr. Hecla conducts research in advanced air-breathing nuclear propulsion concepts and radiation detection. Congratulations Dr. Hecla, we look forward to working with you!
Summer 2025: Advancing Space Nuclear at NASA – Summary of Internship and Visiting Technologist experiences
Over Summer 2025, MIT graduate students Yana Charoenboonvivat (Course 16 – AeroAstro) and Taylor Hampson (Course 22 – Nuclear Science and Engineering) were at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), respectively. See full post here.
July 21-24, 2025: Starfire Workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada, 2025
MIT graduate students Yana Charoenboonvivat, Taylor Hampson, and Carlo Sgorlon-Gaiatto attended the event and presented lightning talks on their research relevant to the space nuclear field. See full post here.
May 4-8, 2025: ANS Nuclear and Emerging Technologies in Space Conference, 2025
Several MIT graduate students, Prof. Koroush Shirvan, and staff scientist Nesrin Cetiner were in attendance. See full post here.
April 23, 2025: MIT AeroAstro SpaceTech Conference
MIT graduate students Taylor Hampson (NSE) and Patrick Riley (AeroAstro) gave lightning talks on their ongoing nuclear thermal propulsion research. Bhavya Lal – former NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy and Strategy, and MIT NSE graduate gave a talk on both the history of space nuclear technology, and recommendations for how future space nuclear programs could overcome the challenges faced by their predecessors.