A laser sintering system arranged to prepare a fuel pellet for use in a nuclear reactor, comprising: a shielded enclosure; a powder feed composition, which comprises: at least one radioactive element selected from the group consisting of Americium, Curium, Plutonium, Neptunium, Protactinium, Californium, Uranium, Thorium, Cesium, Strontium, Technetium, Ruthenium and mixtures thereof in a form selected from the group consisting of oxide, silicide, nitride, carbide and mixtures thereof; and a ceramic matrix material; at least one laser positioned outside the shielded enclosure and structured to emit a laser beam into the shielded enclosure to sinter at least one pattern in a layer of the powder feed composition; and a plurality of components positioned inside the shielded enclosure, which comprise: a flat surface structured to hold the layer of the powder feed composition; a distributer structured to receive the powder feed composition and substantially uniformly distribute the powder feed composition onto the flat surface in a form of the layer; and a reflective device structured to direct the laser beam toward the flat surface such that the laser beam contacts at least a portion of the layer of the powder feed composition, to sinter the layer of the powder feed composition to form the fuel pellet. a shielded enclosure; a powder feed composition, which comprises: at least one radioactive element selected from the group consisting of Americium, Curium, Plutonium, Neptunium, Protactinium, Californium, Uranium, Thorium, Cesium, Strontium, Technetium, Ruthenium and mixtures thereof in a form selected from the group consisting of oxide, silicide, nitride, carbide and mixtures thereof; and a ceramic matrix material; at least one radioactive element selected from the group consisting of Americium, Curium, Plutonium, Neptunium, Protactinium, Californium, Uranium, Thorium, Cesium, Strontium, Technetium, Ruthenium and mixtures thereof in a form selected from the group consisting of oxide, silicide, nitride, carbide and mixtures thereof; and a ceramic matrix material; at least one laser positioned outside the shielded enclosure and structured to emit a laser beam into the shielded enclosure to sinter at least one pattern in a layer of the powder feed composition; and a plurality of components positioned inside the shielded enclosure, which comprise: a flat surface structured to hold the layer of the powder feed composition; a distributer structured to receive the powder feed composition and substantially uniformly distribute the powder feed composition onto the flat surface in a form of the layer; and a reflective device structured to direct the laser beam toward the flat surface such that the laser beam contacts at least a portion of the layer of the powder feed composition, to sinter the layer of the powder feed composition to form the fuel pellet. a flat surface structured to hold the layer of the powder feed composition; a distributer structured to receive the powder feed composition and substantially uniformly distribute the powder feed composition onto the flat surface in a form of the layer; and a reflective device structured to direct the laser beam toward the flat surface such that the laser beam contacts at least a portion of the layer of the powder feed composition, to sinter the layer of the powder feed composition to form the fuel pellet.