How DARPA plans to get nuclear power in the size of a 'AA battery'

Good news! When can I get one? 😊

"... As a way to bypass that roadblock, DARPA funded seven competing teams as part of its Rads to Watts program to refine a range of approaches to radiovoltaics. The objective of the multi-million-dollar program (full figures weren’t disclosed) is a new kind of miniature power cell that can run anything from satellites in space to tactical radios to pacemakers, tough enough to work for years or decades without recharging and in extreme environments that freeze or fry traditional power systems. ..."

How DARPA plans to get nuclear power in the size of a 'AA battery' - Breaking Defense "Seven teams are competing as part of DARPA's Rads to Watts program to create a new kind of miniature power cell that last for years or decades without recharging."

US–Saudi Nuclear Deal Explained: A Strategic Partnership or a Regional Risk?

Good news! When will Saudi Arabia sign the Abraham Accords?

US–Saudi Nuclear Deal Explained: A Strategic Partnership or a Regional Risk? | India Global Review - YouTube

US-Saudi Nuke Deal: Proposed US-Saudi Nuclear Pact Raises Global Alarm

Good news! This may make Israel a little nervous!

(814) US-Saudi Nuke Deal: Proposed US-Saudi Nuclear Pact Raises Global Alarm | World DNA - YouTube

Four US nuclear startups have brought experimental reactors to criticality, hitting a critical milestone

Good news! Bravo President Trump!

"Four nuclear startups participating in Department of Energy reactor-testing programs have brought experimental reactors to criticality, meaning they can sustain controlled nuclear chain reactions.

The department had aimed to reach that milestone with at least three designs by July 4; the companies delivered four. Analysts at the Breakthrough Institute argue that the programs are restoring a crucial stage in the nuclear innovation cycle by allowing companies to build, test, and improve reactor designs before attempting to build costly commercial-scale plants."

"“Last year the Trump administration set a goal to see three new microreactors achieve criticality, a technical milestone establishing that a reactor can sustain a chain reaction, by the nation’s 250th birthday. And just in time, four reactors did so. ..."

"... The Reactor Pilot Program essentially opened a special door for prototype reactors to fast-track development. In August [2025], the US Department of Energy selected 11 reactor projects for the program and offered them land and support from the national labs system. These are all microreactors; the large light-water reactors that dominate the grid today are tens or even hundreds of times their size. ..."

"... Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 reached zero-power criticality at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on June 4th.

Valar Atomics’ Ward 250 followed later that month in Utah, becoming the first DOE-authorized reactor built and operated outside the national laboratory system.

And Deployable Energy, in DOE’s Nuclear Energy Launch Pad program, reached criticality at INL yesterday, making it the third reactor to meet the July 4 target.

Aalo anticipates reaching criticality this week. ..."

Doomslayer: Progress Roundup - by Malcolm Cochran

Four Nuclear Reactors Hit a Big Milestone in the US

Four nuclear reactors hit a big milestone in the US "Achieving criticality is just the first step toward power for the grid."

From Paper to Real-Life Reactors: The Holistic View of the Reactor Pilot Program

Source

SpaceX launched the first nuclear-powered commercial satellite

Good news!

"SpaceX launched the first nuclear-powered commercial satellite, built by Florida-based City Labs, aboard a Falcon 9 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California."

"City Labs today announced that its BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) satellite, the world’s first commercial nuclear-powered satellite and first nuclear CubeSat, has been officially manifested aboard SpaceX Transporter-17, a rideshare mission launched today.

The BOHR mission demonstrates City Labs’ proprietary NanoTritium™ betavoltaic technology in orbit as a dedicated payload power source, providing continuous, long-duration electrical power independent of solar energy. This milestone establishes a new class of spacecraft capabilities, enabling persistent operation of critical subsystems where traditional power systems fall short. This includes deep space, permanently shadowed lunar regions, and long-duration autonomous sensor networks.

The BOHR spacecraft utilizes conventional solar power for satellite bus operations, while the NanoTritium™  system is used to power and validate the payload demonstration. ..."

Wednesday, July 8, 2026 - Join The Flyover

SpaceX just launched the 1st-ever nuclear-powered commercial satellite "Who needs solar power anyway?" [???]

City Labs Launches World’s First Commercial Nuclear-Powered Satellite Aboard SpaceX Transporter-17 (original news release)

Australia and India seal uranium export pact, boost defense ties

Good news! India, a rising superpower!

Australia and India seal uranium export pact, boost defense ties - Nikkei Asia "Canberra sees long-term opportunities as New Delhi expands nuclear capacity"

China’s nuclear energy generation capacity nearly doubled between 2016 and 2026

Very impressive! When will Western countries wake up and abandon their several decades long alarmism and hysteria about the safety of nuclear power!

While the banana republic of Germany e.g. shuts down functioning nuclear power plants!

China is also building small, modular reactors with components that can be premanufactured and assembled on site.

"According to data compiled by the US Energy Information Administration, China’s nuclear energy generation capacity nearly doubled between 2016 and 2026, growing from 31.4 gigawatts to 58.7.

The EIA also reports that 36 reactors, totaling another 38.9 GW of capacity, are currently being built in China, making up 49 percent of all global nuclear energy construction. All that development has led to learning; nuclear power plants in China are completed in an average of six years, three years faster than the global average."

"... China is building its first small modular reactor (SMR), the Linglong-1, a domestically designed 100 MWe pressurized water reactor that can be used for power generation, water desalination, and district heating. The project is intended to demonstrate commercial operation and is expected to start operation in the first half of 2026. The Linglong-1 uses the ACP100 SMR design, a modular design, allowing certain components to be built in a factory and installed onsite. ..."

Doomslayer: Progress Roundup - by Malcolm Cochran

China’s Nuclear Power Capacity Nearly Doubled Since 2016

China’s nuclear power capacity nearly doubled since 2016 (original news release)

Iran or its proxies launched three drones targeting a Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi

Bad news! Attacking nuclear power plants is another very bad idea by the theocratic dictatorship of Iran!

"Likely Iranian or Iranian-backed forces launched three drones targeting the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on May 17. Radiation levels at the plant remain normal. The drones approached the target from the west. Iran has previously used drones to approach a target from an unexpected direction to obscure its responsibility and create challenges for air defenses. IRGC-affiliated media used the attack to attempt to drive a wedge between the UAE and other Gulf States by blaming Saudi Arabia for the attack. ...

The Emirati Defense Ministry announced that its air defenses intercepted two drones while the other struck an electrical generator at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, causing a fire. ..."

Iran Update Evening Special Report, May 17, 2026 | Critical Threats

Belgium stops dismantling all nuclear power plants in the country with immediate effect

Good news! Bravo! It is always very refreshing when common sense prevails (unlike e.g. in the banana republic of Germany)

"... In May 2025, the Belgian parliament voted by a large majority to end the nuclear phase-out agreed in 2003. De Wever's government is also planning to build new nuclear power plants. ..."

Energy transition on ice: Belgium stops dismantling all nuclear power plants in the country | blue News "The Belgian government has begun negotiations to take over all nuclear power plants in the country and has ordered the dismantling to be stopped with immediate effect."

Credits: Belgien stoppt Atomausstieg: Rückbau angehalten

Chernobyl nuclear disaster Anniversary: Blame Communism, Not Nuclear Power

Headline of the day! That's right! Spot on!

Why was the West so foolish! How was so much alarmism and hysteria in the West possible? Who funded  and promoted it? Former Soviet Union? China?

Chernobyl Anniversary: Blame Communism, Not Nuclear Power "Forty years after the Chernobyl meltdown, too many people are still drawing the wrong conclusions."

Kernkraft statt Schweröl: Renaissance der Atomfrachter

Gute Nachrichten!

Hinweis, ein längerer Artikel, den ich nicht ganz gelesen habe.

"... Weltweit wollen gleich fünf Unternehmensgruppen das Zeitalter der Atomfrachter zurückholen,

das 1962 mit der amerikanischen „Savannah“ begann und 

1979 mit der Stilllegung der deutschen „Otto Hahn“ endete.

Seitdem fahren Hochseeschiffe weitgehend mit Schweröl, das Umwelt und Klima stärker belastet als jeder andere fossile Brennstoff. ...

Am weitesten vorn liegt aktuell der australische Schiffsdesigner Seatransport in Runaway Bay im Bundesstaat Queensland. Er hat konkrete Pläne für den Nuklearantrieb eines 73 Meter langen Landungsboots Lloyd’s Register vorgelegt, einer Schiffs-Klassifikationsgesellschaft in London, die weltweit Dienstleistungen zur Risikobewertung und -minderung auf dem Meer anbietet.

Diese sind Grundlage für die Versicherungsprämien für Schiffe. Lloyd’s hat dem australischen Entwurf die grundsätzliche Genehmigung (Approval in Principle, AiP) erteilt. ..."

SMR statt Schweröl: Renaissance der Atomfrachter "Atomfrachter mit SMR-Reaktoren sollen Schweröl ersetzen und die Schifffahrt nahezu CO₂-frei machen. Mehrere Unternehmen treiben die Technik voran."

For the first time in its history, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a construction permit for a private advanced nuclear reactor.

Good news! Incredible, private and advanced!

"For the first time in its roughly 52-year history, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a construction permit for an advanced nuclear reactor design, despite Democrats’ best efforts to kill similar reactors. ...

The approval, granted this month to TerraPower’s Natrium advanced reactor project in Kemmerer, Wyo., marks a historic milestone and significant triumph over the long-standing bureaucratic and political hurdles that stifled innovation and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies in the U.S. The NRC completed the safety review in just under 18 months, ahead of schedule and 11 percent under budget — accomplishments that would have been previously unthinkable for the agency’s infamously awful bureaucracy. ..."

After 52 Years, Democrats’ Red Tape Unravels | National Review

Small Modular Reactor Nuclear Power: Decarbonizing Commercial Shipping

Good news! From navy to commercial shipping!

"... To overcome this, the consortium behind the NuProShip II project is looking at how to fit Gen IV small modular nuclear reactors to heavy commercial vessels. The project’s demonstrator concept is based on a 120-m (394-ft) Vard 3 offshore subsea construction vessel, designed by Fincantieri subsidiary Vard. ..."

SMR Nuclear Power: Decarbonizing Commercial Shipping "Nuclear power isn't just for naval ships anymore as demonstrated by the Nuclear Propulsion in merchant Shipping (NuProShip II) project led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology which is looking at fitting nuclear reactors to heavy-duty commercial vessels."

NuProShip II – Pioneering the future of sustainable Marine Propulsion with Nuclear reactors "... VARD ... presents results of the research and innovation project NuProShip II. NuProShip II marks a significant milestone in the development of sustainable marine technology, exploring the integration of small 4th generation nuclear reactors into specialized offshore vessels."

US Airlifts Nuclear Microreactor in Historic Defense Energy Breakthrough from CA to UT

Good news! A nuclear renaissance is coming!

(195) BREAKING: US Airlifts Nuclear Microreactor in Historic Defense Energy Breakthrough | AC1B - YouTube

Burkina Faso Clears Legal Hurdle to Boost Nuclear Cooperation with Russia

Serious stuff! This is huge! Were Western countries sleeping at the switch?

This country has uranium deposits! It is the least electrified country in Africa.

'THE SOLUTION': Inside the US plan to 'QUADRUPLE' nuclear energy with Maria Bartiromo

Recommendable! An interview with Nano Nuclear Energy founder and Executive Chairman Jay Yu. He also mentioned a new, more efficient laser enrichment for uranium.

Nuclear startups are back in vogue with small reactors, and big challenges

Small, modular nuclear reactors have been touted for at least the past 30-40 or so! Will they be more successful this time? There is a good chance for that given more electrical energy demand!

In the past high costs of large nuclear power reactors, fear of nuclear accidents and proliferation of atomic weapons prevented to some extent the expansion of civilian nuclear power generation (except in countries like France or China).

"The nuclear industry is in the midst of a renaissance. Old plants are being refurbished, and investors are showering startups with cash.

In the last several weeks of 2025 alone, nuclear startups raised $1.1 billion, largely on investor optimism that smaller nuclear reactors will succeed where the broader industry has recently stumbled.

Traditional nuclear reactors are massive pieces of infrastructure. The newest reactors built in the U.S. — Vogtle 3 and 4 in Georgia — contain tens of thousands of tons of concrete, are powered by fuel assemblies 14 feet tall, and generate over 1 gigawatt of electricity each. But they were also eight years late and more than $20 billion over budget. ...

Need more power? Just add more reactors. Smaller reactors, they argue, can be built using mass production techniques, and as companies produce more parts, they should get better at making them, which should drive down costs. ..."

Nuclear startups are back in vogue with small reactors, and big challenges | TechCrunch

Japan prepares to restart world's biggest nuclear plant 15 years after Fukushima

Good news! Bravo! 50 or more nuclear power plants were shut down after Fukushima. Perhaps, they will be restarted as well.

Radiant Nuclear raises $300M for its semi-sized 1 MW reactor

Good news! More nuclear power is required!

"Radiant Nuclear said today that it has raised more than $300 million, just one day after Last Energy said it had raised $100 million.
Three weeks ago, X-energy raised $700 million, and
in August, Aalo Atomics raised $100 million. Heck, Radiant itself raised $165 million just six months ago.

Given the string of investments, it seems reasonable to ask whether the nuclear world is in a bubble. Investment in the technology has tracked closely with the data center boom. AI requires tremendous amounts of electricity, and tech companies and data center developers have been rushing to secure supplies from sources ranging from nuclear fission to supersonic jet engines. ..."

Radiant Nuclear raises $300M for its semi-sized 1 MW reactor | TechCrunch

India Opens Nuclear Power to Private Firms, Changes Liability Rules with Palki Sharma

Good news! Bravo! The new liability rules for operators and suppliers of nuclear power plants in India are interesting and could be a major improvement.