# Aalo’s 2026 Plan: Criticality and Beyond

Aalo is executing a bold plan in nuclear innovation, driving its tech from TRL 6 to TRL 8 across multiple prototype and testing programs in parallel.

Yasir Arafat  
February 18, 2026

_By Independence Day, 2026, on the 250th anniversary of the United States, our nuclear engineers will bring Aalo-X, a next-generation advanced reactor, to criticality, proving what many thought impossible under the ambitious timeline of Executive Order 14301._

**Aalo-X: A Full-Scale 30 MWth XMR**  
Aalo-X is a _full-scale_ advanced eXtra Modular Reactor, targeted to be built by end of 2026. It operates at 30MWt (megawatts thermal) and is designed to produce 10 MWe (megawatts electrical) of electricity via a steam generator and turbine.  
Aalo-X contains a sodium-to-steam heat exchanger feeding a 10 MWe turbine-generator, air-cooled condensers, and all auxiliary and safety systems. This makes it a true unit cell of Aalo’s commercial “Pod” reactor product, which can be scaled anywhere from a single 10 MWe module to a 200 MWe multi-unit power station, with 50 MWe being the standard offering.

To go into technical specifics, Aalo-X uses low-enriched uranium dioxide (≤5% U-235) with a graphite moderator in the core. The primary reactor vessel is a hybrid loop-pool-type configuration, housing the core, control rods, pumps, and heat exchangers in one sealed tank that offers the ideal configuration for passive safety.

**Pushing to TRL 9: Full Power, Burnup, and Refueling**  
Aalo-X is designed to reach TRL 9, meaning it’s a full demonstration of the system in an operational environment. Aalo aims to prove Aalo-X at full power over an extended period. After first criticality in early-2027, we will gradually raise power in steps to the full 30 MWth rating. Running the reactor for many months will accumulate significant fuel burnup, allowing us to observe fuel performance under real conditions, which is crucial for demonstrating reliability.

By the end of the test campaign, Aalo-X will have generated an extensive dataset on neutronics, thermal performance, fuel behavior, and operations and maintenance activities.

**Embracing an Iterative Learning Culture**  
How is Aalo making such rapid progress on a timeline that would make most nuclear engineers sweat bullets? The answer is the iterative learning culture, a mindset more commonly found in Silicon Valley or at SpaceX than in the nuclear industry. This ethos has driven every aspect of Aalo’s reactor development program.

**Non-Nuclear Test Units**  
In Austin, we built a skid-mounted sodium test loop that is now in Idaho. This test loop allows us to qualify key components like heat exchangers and more at operating temperature and flow conditions.

We also aim to build **a plant-scale non-nuclear test unit called Aalo-0** that can simulate integral effects with 60,000 lbs of flowing sodium at operating conditions, targeting Summer 2026 to finalize construction.

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These prototypes provide invaluable feedback and reduce uncertainty, helping us learn and adapt without needing to put a fuel rod in.

**Learning at Low Power: The Critical Test Reactor (CTR)**  
Aalo is building a zero-power criticality reactor, internally named the Critical Test Reactor (CTR), to characterize Aalo-X’s core physics and control behavior _in vivo_ at near-zero power levels.

**Rising to the Independence Day Challenge**  
This aggressive timeline for July 4, 2026, comes from Executive Order 14301, which challenges the Department of Energy to authorize new test reactors to achieve criticality by that date.

Aalo viewed this deadline as an opportunity to innovate and iterate more quickly, aiming for one of the reactors that deliver on this promise.

**Owning the Full Technical Stack**  
Aalo intentionally structured the company to **own the full technical stack** of reactor development and deployment, doing everything in-house for better control over timelines and processes.

- **In-House Reactor Design**: All design work is done by Aalo’s interdisciplinary engineering team.
- **In-House Module Fabrication**: Aalo controls the fabrication of reactor modules internally to ensure rapid iteration on design details.
- **In-House Fuel Supply**: Aalo manages its own fuel cycle, securing early low-enriched uranium and collaborating with experienced fabricators to ensure timely delivery.
- **In-House Reactivity Control Systems**: Custom reactivity control systems are integrated into the design of Aalo-X.
- **In-House Operator Training**: Nuclear submarine reactor operators are being trained in-house to operate Aalo-X efficiently.

This comprehensive approach fosters rapid innovation and allows Aalo to avoid traditional bottlenecks, retaining valuable knowledge and experience throughout the development process.

**A New Chapter for Nuclear**  
As Aalo prepares for criticality, the success of Aalo-X will symbolize the spirit of innovation in nuclear energy. Expect further updates as Aalo counts down to Independence Day.