Julia DeWahl of Antares on building nuclear reactors for the US military

Military serves as ideal beachhead market

Antares targets defense customers who pay premium prices for mission-critical resilience and are insensitive to costs, avoiding consumer regulatory complexity while proving the technology.

Lessons from Opendoor and SpaceX Starlink

DeWahl applies deep customer research methodologies learned from selling homes and satellite internet to identify pain points like diesel generator fuel logistics that nuclear can solve.

Commercial expansion follows cost curve reduction

Future markets include oil and gas operations, remote mining, and hyperscalers seeking 24/7 carbon-free power, but only after military adoption drives down production costs.

Car-sized reactors producing hundreds of kilowatts

Antares designs sub-1-megawatt micro-reactors smaller than submarine units, generating enough power for 200-300 homes using graphite moderators designated as critical minerals.

Eliminating vulnerable fuel supply chains

The reactors replace diesel generators at missile defense sites and remote bases, addressing the military's 'tether of fuel' logistics problem that caused significant casualties in Afghanistan.

Underwater and space application potential

Beyond terrestrial bases, the compact kilowatt-scale systems could enable attritable mini-submarines and space missions currently impossible with conventional power sources.

NRC mandate expands beyond safety to enable deployment

Recent policy changes direct regulators to facilitate reactor development while maintaining safety, and DOE has opened federal land for test reactors while streamlining NEPA regulations.

Public support swung 20 points in five years

Nuclear acceptance reached 60% as generational turnover replaces Cold War-era anti-nuclear activists with climate-conscious youth supporting carbon-free baseload power.

Critical uranium supply chain vulnerabilities exposed

Only 1% of nuclear fuel used in the US is domestically mined, with nearly 50% imported from Russia and ex-Soviet states, creating energy security risks that domestic reactors could mitigate.

2026 criticality test validates reactor physics

The company will demonstrate the ability to sustain a controlled nuclear reaction by balancing moderator-to-fuel ratios without yet converting heat to electricity.

Demonstration unit producing power by end of 2027

Antares targets operational validation of a complete micro-reactor system generating electricity within two years, accelerated by new federal test site access.