Antares

The article highlights the role of American energy in driving 250 years of progress, from the first commercial oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, to innovations like Ford's automobiles and the Wright brothers' flight. It emphasizes how energy fueled industrial expansion, WWII Allied efforts, and postwar economic growth, positioning energy as foundational to U.S. prosperity and freedom.

The first full moon of summer 2026, known as the strawberry moon, will occur on June 29 at 7:56 p.m. EDT. It will follow the summer solstice on June 21 and feature a low lunar path, with a reddish-orange moonrise visible in the Southeast. The red giant star Antares will appear near the moon.

Antares activated its Mark-0 microreactor under the Trump administration’s pilot program, highlighting efforts to advance next-generation nuclear reactors amid a struggling North American uranium supply chain. Congress plans to ban Russian enriched uranium imports by 2028, while AI companies invest in reactors but avoid uranium mining, prompting calls for supply chain development. Projects by TerraPower, Kairos Power, and revived plants aim to boost U.S. nuclear capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050.

China is rapidly expanding its nuclear power capacity with large gigawatt-scale pressurized-water reactors, nearly doubling its fleet since 2016. The U.S. and France, traditional nuclear leaders, have struggled to add new reactors, with the U.S. only completing two units at Plant Vogtle. Smaller reactors, including microreactors like Antares' sodium-cooled Mark-0, are gaining attention in the U.S. as potential solutions for faster deployment and lower costs.

The article argues that dismantling climate change policies is essential for energy affordability, citing rising gasoline and electric rates linked to regulatory actions on fossil fuels. It contrasts Republican criticism of Biden's energy policies with Democratic criticism of Trump, highlighting the political conflict over energy costs and climate agendas.

A small modular nuclear reactor developed by startup Antares reached criticality at the Idaho National Laboratory, marking the first new reactor design to achieve this milestone. The Trump Administration's executive order aimed to have three reactor designs reach criticality within a year, and Antares' design uses a TRISO fuel system with advanced safety features.

A rare blue micromoon will occur on May 28, 2026, marking the second full moon in May and the most distant full moon of the year. The micromoon will appear 6% smaller and 10% dimmer than average, with Antares aligning for observers in the Southern Hemisphere.