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Texas test reactor reaches criticality for medical isotope project
Texas test reactor reaches criticality for medical isotope project
Oklo’s Groves Isotope Test Reactor in Lockhart, Texas, achieved first criticality on August 5, 2026, according to The Times of India. The low-power reactor sustained a controlled nuclear chain reaction but was…
The Story in Brief
Oklo’s Groves Isotope Test Reactor in Lockhart, Texas, achieved first criticality on August 5, 2026, according to The Times of India. The low-power reactor sustained a controlled nuclear chain reaction but was not designed to generate electricity or produce isotopes yet. The project aims to support future US production of molybdenum-99, which produces technetium-99m used in medical scans.
Groves reached the milestone under the US Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, less than a year after construction began, the report said. It became the fifth reactor to meet the programme’s target and the first built from scratch on privately owned land. Oklo plans a larger isotope facility at Idaho National Laboratory, but that project still requires separate Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval and has no confirmed production date.
The Indian Opinion
Claims that this milestone has already freed US hospitals from foreign isotope supplies are premature. The reactor has not begun production, and the larger Idaho project still needs approval. At the same time, dismissing Groves as mere publicity would ignore the speed of its construction and testing. The useful measure will be whether Oklo secures approval and delivers reliable molybdenum-99 at commercial scale, not simply whether another reactor reaches criticality.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
