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Historically, molten salt reactor technology had little support from politicians, the scientific community, and industry in the United States. Alvin Weinberg and other scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory were the only major proponents of the technology, although they managed to secure prominent contracts for nuclear powered aircraft and rockets from the USAF (Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion) and NASA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application. The Molten Salt Reactor Experiment was also built and operated successfully for a few years with no major incidents, remarkable for a prototype reactor and in contrast to the significant problems experienced by prototype sodium cooled reactors, which enjoyed much greater support. The S2G sodium cooled reactor on the USS Seawolf was so problematic that Admiral Rickover went out of his way to ensure that only conservatively design light water reactors would power nuclear Navy ships.
What if molten salt reactor technology had received support from top politicians instead of sodium cooled reactors? Could molten salt reactors have met the strict safety requirements of Admiral Rickover? Could they have become a mainstream design for second and later generation nuclear reactors?