TODAY, VALAR ATOMICS BECAME THE FIRST STARTUP IN HISTORY TO SPLIT THE ATOM

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Valar Atomics' Project Nova core achieved zero-power criticality for the first time yesterday morning. Zero-power criticality is a foundation milestone that precedes nuclear operation with power. The achievement will allow Valar to gain a greater understanding of the neutronic characteristics of the core and verify assumptions about fuel, moderators, active reactivity control, and burnable poisons. It marks a decisive step toward commercial-scale, factory-built nuclear reactors capable of powering heavy industry, hydrogen production, and AI-era data infrastructure with carbon-free energy.