Systems and methods for processing irradiation targets through a nuclear reactor

A system for delivering and retrieving irradiation targets through a nuclear reactor, the system comprising:

• a penetration pathway connecting an origin point outside an access barrier of the nuclear reactor and an instrumentation tube extending into the nuclear reactor inside the access barrier, wherein the access barrier encloses a space around the nuclear reactor and prevents direct human access to the instrumentation tube;
• and
• a loading/offloading system including a first pathway, a second pathway, and a third pathway,
• wherein, the first pathway connects an irradiation target source and the origin point, the second pathway connects the origin point and an irradiation target harvesting point outside the access barrier, the first and the second pathways join only at the origin point, the loading/offloading system is configured to provide one of the first and the second pathways based on a destination of the at least one irradiation target, the penetration, first, and second pathways each include a surface on which the irradiation targets directly move between connected points and an open space adjacent to the surface and between connected points sized to fit the irradiation targets, and the third pathway includes a surface and an open space adjacent to the surface that connects a drive system and the origin point, wherein the drive system includes a plunger and a cable shaped to pass through the penetration pathway and drive at least one irradiation target into the instrumentation tube.