Samim Anghaie, Ph.D.

Professor of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering

College of Engineering

2003 Awardee

Manned interplanetary travel will require nuclear-powered engines that are compact, light and safe, says radiological engineering Professor Samim Anghaie, co-founder of the Innovative Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion Institute.

Anghaie and his team are focused on pursuing the use of nuclear energy to provide propulsion and generate power on lengthy space missions.

“The only way to minimize time in space is by using nuclear power,” Anghaie says. “Our research is focused on developing safety features for these types of reactors.”

For the past 15 years, INSPPI has been the only institute of its kind to research power in space, developing concepts and new designs specifically for space application.

Anghaie’s future research goal is to develop a nuclear powered orbiter to probe Jupiter’s icy moons.

Over the past five years, Anghaie has received more than $2.7 million in grants and published 66 refereed papers.