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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Latest News
Antares achieves zero-power criticality at INL
Leveraging more than $140 million in private capital fundraising, over 322,000 square feet of operational manufacturing space, and multifaceted partnerships with the Departments of Energy and Defense, reactor start-up Antares has become the first company involved in the Reactor Pilot Program to achieve zero-power fueled criticality—a full month ahead of the July 4 deadline set by President Trump’s Executive Order 14301.
This milestone, announced yesterday, was achieved with the company’s Mark-0: a sodium heat-pipe-cooled, TRISO-fueled microreactor. The Mark-0 is a forerunner to the company’s flagship design, which it calls the R1. For Antares, this development represents a key validation of its reactor physics, control systems, and supply chain.
Technical Session|Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
Wednesday, May 8, 2024|3:15–4:55PM MDT|Coronado/DeVargas
Session Chair:
Timothy Schriener (University of New Mexico)
Alternate Chair:
Randy Bell (Aerospace Corp.)
Session Organizer:
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Designing a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Experiment for Irradiation in a Nuclear Reactor
3:15–3:40PM MDT
Harmon Veselka (INL), Austen Fradeneck (INL)
Paper
Design and Testing of a Heat Transfer Experiment for a Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket
3:40–4:05PM MDT
Joel Krakower (Drexel Univ.), Nicholson Dunavan (Delta Research), Dominyck Darlington (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ.), Kylie Braunhardt (New Mexico State), Ines de Villarreal (Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Zach Smith (Ohio State)
Development of Prototypic Centrifugal Fuel Element Test Stand for Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Engine
4:05–4:30PM MDT
Spencer Christian (Ohio State), Calvin Chandler (Ohio State), John M. Horack (Ohio State)
Parahydrogen Properties Version 05 Database Release for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Applications
4:30–4:55PM MDT
Corey D. Smith (Analytical Mechanics Assoc.), Adam D. Boylston (Analytical Mechanics Assoc.), Jonathan P. McDonald (KBR Wyle Services)