# Source note — NRIC Nuclear Energy Launch Pad selections (2026-08-27)

## Selected source-card
**Article:** `blog/articles/nric-launch-pad-13-projects-fuel-cycle-source-card.html`  
**Evidence label:** official/source URL identified through Google News RSS, with direct INL automation access blocked; facts built from POWER Magazine and American Nuclear Society trade reporting that quote/summarize the NRIC/INL announcement. This is a deployment-pathway/process item, not a reactor licence, procurement award, grid-power contract or investment recommendation.

## Official/source URL
1. **Idaho National Laboratory / National Reactor Innovation Center — “NRIC selects new Nuclear Energy Launch Pad participants to boost nuclear energy”**  
   URL: https://inl.gov/news-release/nric-selects-new-nuclear-energy-launch-pad-participants-to-boost-nuclear-energy/  
   Capture/access note: `research/energy/nric-launch-pad-13-projects-fuel-cycle-source-card-2026-08-27/source_official_inl_release_access.txt`  
   Access status: direct terminal retrieval returned 403/JavaScript-cookie gating during this run. Google News RSS surfaced the official INL headline and date, but the article text was not downloaded from INL. Cite the URL as the official/source page and keep the access caveat.

## Reporting / trade sources used for facts
2. **POWER Magazine — “NRIC Adds 13 Projects to Nuclear Energy Launch Pad, Expanding Advanced Reactor and Fuel-Cycle Pipeline”**  
   URL: https://www.powermag.com/nric-adds-13-projects-to-nuclear-energy-launch-pad-expanding-advanced-reactor-and-fuel-cycle-pipeline/  
   Reader capture: `research/energy/nric-launch-pad-13-projects-fuel-cycle-source-card-2026-08-27/source_trade_power_nric_launch_pad.md`  
   Key anchors used:
   - POWER reports DOE's NRIC selected **13 new projects across 12 companies** for Nuclear Energy Launch Pad support.
   - POWER says selections span microreactor developers, enrichment startups, fuel fabrication firms and isotope producers.
   - POWER reports the selected projects include reactor development and nuclear fuel-cycle advancements, including fabrication, enrichment and conversion technologies.
   - POWER quotes NRIC Director Brad Tomer saying Launch Pad gives developers a prioritized pathway to the DOE authorization process plus subject-matter, facility and regulatory support.
   - POWER says specific project scopes, host sites, technology categories and target authorization milestones were not disclosed in the NRIC announcement.

3. **American Nuclear Society / Nuclear Newswire — “Second round of Launch Pad selections includes eight newcomers”**  
   URL: https://www.ans.org/news/2026-08-25/article-8338/second-round-of-launch-pad-selections-includes-eight-newcomers/  
   Reader capture: `research/energy/nric-launch-pad-13-projects-fuel-cycle-source-card-2026-08-27/source_trade_ans_nric_launch_pad.md`  
   Key anchors used:
   - ANS identifies eight companies that had not previously been selected for pilot programs or Launch Pad: Atlas Atomics, Forge Atomics, Hexium, Lightbridge, Nusano, Raven-Flint Nuclear, Scaled Atomics and Sublime Atomics.
   - ANS says Antares Nuclear, Deployable Energy, Oklo and Valar Atomics were among companies selected that had already been tied to earlier pilot/criticality milestones.
   - ANS describes a mix of reactor, isotope, fuel, conversion and enrichment-related technologies, not one standardized SMR product.

## Editorial cautions
- Do not call the Launch Pad selections a licence, construction approval, grid interconnection, commercial power purchase agreement or proof that any reactor will be delivered on schedule.
- Do not convert company pipeline descriptions into investment conclusions. This card is infrastructure/source-trail research, not advice to buy, sell or hold nuclear/uranium equities.
- Keep the official-source access note visible: INL's official page was identified, but not directly scraped because of 403 gating.
- Note that some company technical descriptions come from trade reporting and company/public statements; they still need regulator filings, fuel qualification, site authorization, financing and customer evidence.