The Department of Energy approved Antares Nuclear’s documented safety analysis for its test reactor, Mark-0, under DOE’s reactor pilot program, the company said on Monday.
The documented safety analysis marks the acceptance of Antares’s final design for its Mark-0 reactor. The company now enters the DOE’s readiness review process, which is the final phase of four before DOE approves the startup of the test reactor, Antares said in a press release.
Antares was the first advanced nuclear company to have its preliminary design safety analysis approved by DOE in January and became the first to get its documented safety analysis blessed as well. The company said it remains on track to meet the July 4 target for criticality under the reactor pilot program.
The Torrance, Calif.-based microreactor developer is testing its Mark-0 demonstration reactor at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory in Building 793 of the Materials and Fuels Complex, the company said. Following the Mark-0 demonstration, Antares will use the same test facility and fuel batch for its Mark-1 reactor in 2027.
The company plans to use its early reactors for defense and space purposes in 2028.
“We are entering the final innings, and that’s incredibly exciting,” Antares CEO Jordan Bramble said. “Getting here was only possible with strong support from our partners at Idaho National Laboratory and BWXT, and leadership at DOE, along with relentless work from the Antares team.”
For the reactor pilot program, DOE aims to have at least three reactors reaching criticality by July 4. Antares, founded in 2023, was one of the 10 companies selected for the program.