First privately developed non-light-water US nuclear test reactor reaches criticality at Idaho lab
By
By David Szondy
Summary
The Antares Nuclear Mark-0 test reactor, the first privately developed non-light-water reactor in the US in over 40 years, achieved initial criticality at Idaho National Laboratory on June 4, 2026. This milestone, known as "zero-power fueled criticality," brought the reactor to the minimum power level needed to sustain a nuclear chain reaction. The primary goal is to validate computational physics models and core geometry for this modular next-generation nuclear reactor design.
Source
bskyFirst privately developed non-light-water US nuclear test reactor reaches criticality at Idaho labnewatlas.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledThe milestone, achieved on June 4, 2026, was what is known as 'initial criticality' or 'zero-power fueled criticality,' which means the reactor was only brought to the minimum power level required to start a nuclear chain reaction.
Nuclear energy in the West took another step forward as the first privately developed, non-light-water reactor to go critical in the United States in more than 40 years reached a major milestone.
The goal is to validate the reactor's computational physics models, core geometry.
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