Aurora Nuclear Microreactor Project Pushed by Trump Administration - Kyle Rupley
On April 11, 2026, Aurora community members found out through veiled and inconspicuous media coverage about the potential siting of a nuclear reactor at Buckley SFB in Aurora as part of Trump’s Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program. Then, on Earth Day, April 22, we learned that the contract to provide these reactors was awarded to Radiant, a privately-held, six-year-old startup company founded by SpaceX alums who have no experience in the commercial operation of nuclear reactors. The administratio targets 2028 to have this novel reactor placed and working on the base despite not currently having approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Radiant refers to their Kaleidos reactor as part of a “nuclear renaissance,” but this project is happening against a backdrop of efforts toward massive and imprudent deregulation. The Trump Administration’s assault on the federal workforce through DOGE and other means has left the NRC a shadow of it’s former self, and the NRC has recently proposed easing the regulations around reactor siting and allowing them to operate without being “subject to population density-related siting limitations outlined in 10 CFR Part 100.”
The safety of the Kaleidos design is far from proven. The reactor utilizes TRISO fuel that has known failure mechanisms and safety concerns. The industry is fully aware of the huge barriers this technology still has to overcome before it could be safely operated in our communities. Another issue around TRISO fuels is manufacturing. Potential inconsistencies in the manufacturing process also present significant safety concerns. This will hurt the community of Piketon, Ohio, where Radiant has partnered with Centrus to manufacture uranium for Kaleidos. This community has a long history as part of the nuclear industry supply chain and is already referred to as a “sacrifice zone.”
Will Aurora, Colorado, be the next sacrifice zone? Nuclear technology has never been clean or safe, and members of our communities know this from our own lived experiences with previous projects like the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons facility northwest of Denver. A major study from Harvard University, released in February 2026, attributes 115,000 U.S. cancer deaths during the years 2000-2018 to living near operating nuclear power plants. It’s time for our community to say enough is enough. The hubris of tech-bro billionaires and their companies like Oklo and Radiant putting reactors in residential communities like Aurora is a direct threat to the safety of our communities and the health of the beautiful Colorado lands we share.
By Kyle Rupley, a concerned citizen of Aurora, Colorado
April 27, 2026