Antares Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Achieves Criticality in Maiden Test

Antares, a nuclear technology startup, announced that its small modular reactor (SMR) has reached criticality for the first time, a major engineering milestone in the development process. The reactor is not yet operational for power generation but the successful criticality test demonstrates progress toward commercializing compact nuclear energy solutions that could support AI data centers and other power-intensive applications.

Why it matters: As AI infrastructure demands surge, alternative energy sources like SMRs are becoming critical for the industry's sustainability and power reliability strategies.