WELCOME

You have reached the business Website for

Joseph A. Sholtis, Jr. dba Sholtis Engineering & Safety Consulting

Specializing in:

Space Nuclear Power & Propulsion Systems

Their design, development, reliability, safety & risks associated with their validation, launch approval & in-space operation

Research & Test Reactors

Their design, safety, licensing, operation & utilization

Launch Vehicles

Their reliability, safety, range safety, potential accidents & accident environments

Artist's rendering of the nuclear-powered Cassini spacecraft as it first encountered Saturn Copyright (C) NASA

Artist's rendering of a future crewed Mars transfer vehicle (MTV) departing the vicinity of Earth for Mars under nuclear thermal rocket propulsion Copyright (C) NASA

Photograph of AFRRI 1MW(t) TRIGA Mark-F pulsing research & test reactor; while operating at full steady-state power

Currently open to low level-of-effort technical & programmatic contractual engineering consulting opportunities

Please read on, to see if I'm a fit for your organization's or program's needs.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Education

PhD Coursework, Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico (UNM), 1978-80

M.S. Nuclear Engineering, UNM, 1977

B.S. Nuclear Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 1970

Graduate-level Certificates

Systems Engineering, University of Washington, 1992

Systems Safety & Systems Safety Management, University of Washington, 1991

Probabilistic Risk Assessment & Risk Management of Nuclear & Space Systems, PLG Inc, 1987

Program Management, Defense Systems Management College, 1984

Space & Ballistic Missile Systems, USAF, 1983

Licenses / Certifications

Senior Reactor Operator: SOP-3942 & SOP-3942-1, AFRRI TRIGA, Licensed by the NRC, 1981-84

Reactor Operator: OP-5363, AFRRI TRIGA, Licensed by the NRC, 1980-81

Professional Experience

Accomplished nuclear, aerospace & systems engineer
- Recognized expert in radioisotope power systems (RPSs) & reactor systems for space power & propulsion; their safety & reliability, and assessment of the risks associated with their validation , launch & in-space use
Successful, effective business owner & principal engineer (1993 - Present)
- Organizations supported: Halliburton NUS, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Ogden Environmental & Energy Services, DOE, NASA, DoD, USAF, NRC, EPA, Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Panel (INSRP), NM Office of Space Commercialization, GRAM Inc, Hamilton-Sundstrand/Rocketdyne, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing/Rocketdyne, UNM-Institute for Space & Nuclear Power Studies, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), NASA-JPL, NASA-GRC, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), National Academies National Research Council, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine
Retired USAF LtCol; served 22 years and 8 months as a Nuclear Research Officer, and Space Systems Development Program Manager (1970-93)
Proven program & technical project manager
- Former Program Manager at DOE HQ for $700M joint DoD/NASA/DOE SP-100 space reactor power system development for DoD's Strategic Defense Initiative Organization & NASA (1984-87)
- Former DoD Coordinator for Presidentially-appointed Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Panel (INSRP) safety & risk evaluations of nuclear-powered/heated space missions, to include: the joint NASA/ESA Ulysses solar-polar mission; the once proposed USAF Nuclear Electric Propulsion Space Test Project (NEPSTP) mission; and the early stages of the NASA Mars Pathfinder & Cassini space mission campaigns -- all in support of presidential launch decisions (1987-93). Upon retirement from the Air Force in 1993, served as a technical expert to INSRP for safety evaluation campaigns for the 'Spirit" & "Opportunity" nuclear-heated rover missions to Mars. Since 2004, due to an institutional conflict of interest, supported the Mission Project's development of their Safety Analysis Reports for all subsequent nuclear-powered space missions (i.e., the New Horizons-Pluto and both the "Curiosity" & "Perseverance" rover missions to Mars).
- Former NRC-licensed Senior Reactor Operator, Research Reactor Facility Director, and Radiation Sources Division Chief at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI), Bethesda, MD (1980-84)
  - Responsible for the safe & efficient operation, maintenance, licensing/re-licensing, and upgrade of five major radiation research facilities worth more than $250M: A 1.0 MW(t) NRC-licensed pulsing TRIGA Mark-F research reactor; a large NRC-licensed multi-mega Curie Co-60 irradiation facility; a high-power electron linear accelerator (LINAC); and two industrial X-ray machines
  - Successfully led NRC relicensing of Reactor and Co-60 facilities; including the contested re-licensing of the AFRRI Reactor Facility before the NRC's Atomic Safety & Licensing Board (ASLB), with a successful summary disposition that set a precedent for other TRIGA research reactors throughout the US
  - Successfully upgraded all five AFRRI radiation source facilities to improve their availability, safety, and lifetime well into the 21st century
- Selected for the prestigious USAF/National Laboratories Associates Program; assigned to Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM as a DoD Member of the Technical Staff; participated in upgrade of Sandia's Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR), and led the Accident Identification & Characterization of Sandia's Liquid-Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) Accident Delineation Study for the NRC (1978-80)
Skillful risk management specialist
- Relentless in identifying, attacking & eliminating or mitigating technical, safety, schedule, and cost risk in all endeavors pursued
Creative problem solver & inventor
- Conceived of and advanced coated Pu-238 microsphere particle fuel & fuel forms; which can revolutionalize the design, integration, performance & safety of future RPSs for space (1998-Present)
Sought-after consultant by NASA, DOE, DoD, National Labs, and the National Academies
Author/Co-Author of more than 120 technical publications; including 4 Chapters in 4 Textbooks (Go to Pubs below for details)
Recipient of numerous honors & awards (Go to Resumé below for details)

Unique Projects Overview

Ten years of technical & programmatic experience with research & test reactors -- to include serving as an NRC-licensed Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) and Reactor Facility Director of a 1.0 MW(t) pulsing TRIGA research & test reactor at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (1980-84); obtaining DOE Section 91 B Authorization for USAF construction & operation of a 1.0 MW(t) steady-state TRIGA reactor facility at McClellan AFB, CA, to primarily conduct non-destructive neutron radiography inspection of F-15 wing sections for the USAF (1986-87); as well as creating and serving as the first Director of the USAF Nuclear Regulatory Authority with licensing, regulatory, and safety oversight responsibility over all USAF nuclear energy systems, facilities, and technologies for space, missile, and unique terrestrial applications (1987-93).

Forty-three years of technical experience & programmatic involvement with space nuclear power and propulsion systems, programs, and missions -- to include serving as Program Manager of the $700M joint DoD/DOE/NASA SP-100 Space Reactor Power System Development program for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, while assigned to DOE HQ (1984-87); serving as reactor technical expert to the United Nations COPUOS, its Technical and Legal Subcommittees, and its Working Group on Nuclear Power Systems for Space (1984-1987); serving as a Member of the Launch Abort Subpanel (1975-87), Chair of the Power Systems Subpanel (1987-1993), and DoD Coordinator (1989-1993) of the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Panel (INSRP) for all US nuclear-powered/heated space missions launched from 1975-2004; as well as direction of the joint Sholtis Engineering & Safety Consulting, University of New Mexico Institute for Space & Nuclear Power Studies, and Sandia National Laboratories contractual effort to characterize and advance plutonium-238 oxide coated particle fuel & fuel forms for future DOE-produced RPSs for space use and unique applications on Earth. In addition, principally as a consultant, involved in numerous studies, analyses, evaluations, and assessments of advanced space nuclear technologies, systems, programs & missions; to include documentation of the findings, results, & recommendations in reports and presentations to middle and top management within DOE and its National Labs, NASA and its Centers, DoD, NRC, EPA, the National Academies, the Administration (White House OSTP), Congress & the United Nations.

Overall, involved in every U.S. space nuclear power and propulsion system development, and every nuclear-powered or heated U.S. space mission launched since 1975 -- a total of fifteen missions: Viking I & II; the USAF Lincoln Experimental Satellites 8 & 9 (LES 8/9); Voyager I & II; Galileo; Ulysses; Mars Pathfinder "Sojourner" rover; Cassini; Mars Exploration Rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity"; New Horizons - Pluto; the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) "Curiosity" rover; and the Mars 2020 "Perseverance" rover missions. Also, during 2009-2010, participated in the National Research Council, National Academies study and report of 'Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) for Space.' During 2014-2015, served on the Executive Committee, led the Safety Team, and substantively participated in NASA's 'Nuclear Power Assessment Study.' And, during 2021-22, participated in the study and documentation of a National Academies Committee Consensus Study of 'Space Nuclear Propulsion Technologies' for NASA cargo & crewed missions to Mars in the 2030s.

Currently, supporting next-generation (and beyond) advanced RPSs (for future cryobot ocean worlds and solar system exploration), and reactor system conceptualiztion & evaluation (for in-space power & propulsion, as well as lunar & Mars surface power) through collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). And, most recently (Feb 2024- present), serving as a Consultant to the Space Nuclear Power Corporation, and their efforts with Lockheed Martin, to design, develop, validate, build, launch, and demonstrate (in space) a low-power Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) platform for DoD, NASA, and US commercial industry applications in cislunar space. Therefore....the adventure continues!!!

For more information, see below & go to:

www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-a-sholtis-jr-39881034

For a copy of my Business Card, Resumé, Brief Bio, or List of Publications:

1. Go To the list of Attachments at the bottom of this page,

2. Click on the appropriate file: (i.e.,

Buscard.gif--for Business Card

SESC_BusPhotoCard.jpg--for Business Photo Card

Resume(date).pdf--for Resumé

SummaryBio.pdf--for Brief Biographical Sketch

Pubs(date).pdf--for List of Publications); and

3. Then, you can view, save, or print the file when it's on-screen

To view, save, or print: