Valar Atomics 宣称在 DOE 试点项目中率先于 2026 年 7 月 4 日目标前达成零功率临界状态，此项目要求至少三家初创公司达成该里程碑。公司刚于上周获得 1.3 亿美元融资，并依赖 Los Alamos National Laboratory 提供的关键结构组件完成其 NOVA 核心的临界反应。特朗普政府 5 月的行政命令迅速放宽程序，使 11 家企业得以绕过传统 NRC 长周期许可，通过研究途径执行反应堆早期测试，从而推动“自曼哈顿计划以来未见速度”的核技术试验节奏。

零功率临界只验证几何与物理设计，并不产生可用热能。Valar 所用燃料此前测试有限，因此此类冷临界试验被视为必要步骤。公司 5 月宣布要在截至日期前启动可运行模型，并于 9 月动工。该计划改变以往“首型即商用”的模式，通过联邦研究设施进行多轮验证。NRC 长期被批评审批复杂，Valar 与 Last Energy、Deep Fission 亦参与诉讼，指称 NRC 对小型与先进反应堆的监管过度。特朗普政府随后宣布改革 NRC，并更换监管委员会成员之一。

达到冷临界并不等同商业化，所有企业仍需回到 NRC 获取商用许可。DOE 内部亦承认一年内达成临界属激进目标，能源部长 Wright 最近预期 1 至 2 家企业可在 7 月 4 日前完成，而未来两年可能有 10 家达成。尽管政治时限引发疑虑，Valar 声称其进度来自高强度的软件建模、核心设计与非核原型投入，并强调进度由工程成熟与安全验证推动，而非政治安排。

Valar Atomics claimed it was the first participant in a DOE pilot program targeting at least three startups reaching criticality before July 4, 2026. The company, which recently secured a 130-million-dollar funding round, achieved zero-power criticality using its NOVA core, combining proprietary fuel with structural components from Los Alamos National Laboratory. Executive orders issued in May reshaped regulatory pathways by enabling 11 companies to conduct early reactor tests through research channels, bypassing traditional NRC licensing timelines and accelerating development at a pace described as unmatched since the Manhattan Project.

Zero-power criticality validates reactor geometry and physics rather than producing usable heat. Valar’s fuel has limited prior testing, making such cold-criticality trials essential. The company announced plans to activate a functional model before the deadline and broke ground in September. The program departs from the earlier “first-of-a-kind to commercial” model by enabling iterative validation through federal laboratories. The NRC has long faced criticism for complex oversight, and Valar, Last Energy, and Deep Fission are suing the agency for overregulating small and advanced reactors. In response, the administration ordered NRC reforms and replaced one regulator.

Cold criticality does not equate to commercial readiness, and all firms must eventually reengage with the NRC for market approval. DOE officials acknowledge that achieving criticality within a year is ambitious, with Wright expecting only one or two companies to succeed by July 4, though as many as ten may reach the milestone within two years. Despite concerns over political timelines, Valar attributes its pace to heavy investment in modeling, core design, and non-nuclear prototyping, stating that its schedule is driven by engineering readiness and safety validation rather than political pressure.