China claims they have built a test nuclear reactor using Thorium.
zee toothpaste?
‘lasts 1000 of years with the same fuel’
This makes me collate and paste this research on the US side
2021
https://theconversation.com/the-us-army-…ell-164138
"Nearly 60 years after the PM-2A was installed and the ML-1 project abandoned , the U.S. military is exploring portable land-based nuclear reactors again.In May 2021, the Pentagon requested $60 million for Project Pele . Its goal: Design and build, within five years, a small, truck-mounted portable nuclear reactor that could be flown to remote locations and war zones. It would be able to be powered up and down for transport within a few days . "
2026 May is the deadline.
2025
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/08/13/us…r-reactor/
"
California-based power generation company Radiant has signed an agreement to provide a mass-produced nuclear microreactor for a US military installation under the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program.
ANPI , a collaboration between the Defense Innovation Unit and the US Air Force, is an ongoing effort to deploy portable nuclear energy for base resilience and operational security.
…
Radiant’s Kaleidos runs on TRISO fuel or ceramic-coated uranium particles that are effectively meltdown-proof, with helium gas for cooling, a combination that eliminates water requirements and reduces contamination risks.
Inside the platform, graphite blocks with a zinc-hydride moderator form the reactor core, while a supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle efficiently converts heat into electricity.
For safety, Kaleidos features passive air-jacket cooling that draws heat away naturally, even in emergencies. The system can shut down and cool itself in just 300 milliseconds.
A single unit of the microreactor runs for five years before the sealed container is returned for refueling. Over its 20-year lifespan, it can be refueled four times, leaving no waste or infrastructure behind.
Radiant plans for hundreds of Kaleidos units to operate autonomously, each monitored through a centralized 24/7 control network."
https://www.energy.gov/ne/demonstration-…ments-dome
"DOE made conditional selections for the first tests in DOME on July 1, 2025. Both companies are expected to meet certain milestones throughout the process to maintain their allotted time in DOME and to ensure efficient use of the test bed. Testing will start as early as spring 2026.
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Radiant (El Segundo, CA) - Kaleidos Development Unit
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Westinghouse (Etna, PA) - eVinci Nuclear Test Reactor "
