☢️ Microreactor went from idea to chain reaction in under a year

• American nuclear power has long been defined by delays, where a single reactor design could take a decade to test.
• The company Antares built the Mark-0 microreactor within the U.S. Department of Energy's pilot program, in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory and BWX Technologies.
• The reactor reached criticality in less than twelve months, and Antares became the first private company to take an advanced reactor there within the program.

First private reactor of its kind in four decades

The Mark-0 microreactor has reached criticality at Idaho National Laboratory in the United States. This means the reactor's nuclear reaction became self-sustaining, which is the first step before a reactor can begin producing electricity. The company Antares is behind the reactor and thereby became the first private company to bring an advanced reactor to criticality within the Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program.

Mark-0 is the first privately developed American reactor of a type other than a light-water reactor to reach criticality in more than four decades. The test was carried out in partnership with the Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory, and the company BWX Technologies. The U.S. Army took part as a future end user of the technology, providing support for integration and observation.

From concept to criticality in under twelve months

Antares went from concept to a critical reactor in less than twelve months. The company had set the schedule as a non-negotiable requirement. According to Antares, American nuclear power has long been defined by delays and by companies that promised but did not deliver. The company had committed to criticality in 2026, electricity production in 2027, and power to military installations in 2028. Criticality is the first of these commitments to be met on the schedule that was set.

Fuel from a military program

Mark-0 uses the same nuclear fuel as Project Pele, a program to develop and demonstrate a transportable microreactor for military use. The fuel, of the TRISO type, was manufactured by BWX Technologies in the state of Virginia. The test contributes data that validates key reactor physics parameters for Antares' reactors and provides Project Pele with verification data. Engineers also gained direct insight into the physics of the reactor's core and into how its control drums behave.

The company behind the reactor

Antares was founded in 2023 and has received more than 140 million dollars in funding. The company develops compact microreactors for defense and space applications and operates facilities in Torrance, California; Idaho Falls, Idaho; and Aiken, South Carolina.

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