Alan Newhouse graduated from Cornell University in Feb 1960 with a B.E.E. degree [a 5-year program now considered equivalent to a masters degree] and went on active duty as an Ensign USN. He was assigned to the Division of Reactor Development, US AEC and specifically to the staff of Admiral Rickover He had numerous assignments of increasing management and technical responsibility in the Naval Reactors organization including direct reporting to Adm. Rickover. These assignments range from Managing a field facility; Managing all operational prototype reactors and the Shippingport Atomic Power Station; Construction, testing and operation of nuclear-powered cruisers, submarines and aircraft carrier fluid systems, and I&C systems; Project Officer for New Construction Los Angeles Class Submarines; Advanced development of new electrical machinery and I &C equipment; Conducting large scale at-sea testing of nuclear-powered cruiser and carrier; and Developing new concepts for reactors.
In 1992 he was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Space and Defense Power Systems and was responsible for the Management and execution of DOE/NASA/DOD program to provide nuclear power systems for space and national security applications; For Cassini RTG production; SP100 Nuclear Reactor Development; and several classified programs. He initiated technical development of new energy conversion technologies for space and terrestrial applications.
In 1995 he retired from government service and became an independent consultant working for clients such as DOE Mound Field Office, National Academy of Public Administration, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Northrop-Grumman. He also worked part time for a naval engineering firm and served on the Naval Research Advisory Committee reviewing the Navy’s plans for the new aircraft carrier. During 2002 he was a consultant to the Office of Space Science, NASA on the Nuclear System Initiative [NSI]. On December 30, 2002 he was appointed Director Nuclear Systems Initiative [later Project Prometheus] in the Office of Space Science HQ NASA reporting to the Associate Administrator, Office of Space Science. On December 25, 2004 he retired again from Government service and resumed a consulting business in the field of space nuclear power and related technologies. He recently served on a National Academy of Sciences /National Research Council Committee studying The use of Radioisotope Power Supplies for Space and the need for Plutonium 238 for that purpose.