In the wake of new executive orders elevating nuclear energy as a national security priority, there’s growing momentum—and urgency—behind advanced fission technologies. Few are better positioned to talk about this shift than Jordan Bramble, co-founder and CEO of Antares Nuclear, a startup building microreactors for defense and space.

In this episode of Valley of Depth, we explore the strategic, technical, and geopolitical dimensions driving the nuclear renaissance. We cover:

• Why microreactors are built for strategic energy and not just the grid

• The real story behind public support for nuclear energy

• How Antares plans to deploy sub-megawatt nuclear systems on U.S. military installations

• The challenges of fuel supply, regulation, and capital

• Why China is pulling ahead and what the U.S. must do to catch up

• Nuclear-powered space assets and propulsion

• Why Jordan believes venture-scale outcomes are coming to nuclear energy

• Chapters •

00:00 - Intro
00:56 - Payload Pro
01:39 - State of fission
03:38 - Is renewed nuclear interest driven by political or environmental factors?
05:23 - Are small modular reactors (SMRs) going to replace large, conventional nuclear reactors?
07:31 - Is nuclear still a controversial topic?
09:27 - Cultural legacy of nuclear in media
11:49 - Antares and how Jordan got into nuclear
14:16 - What does 1 Megawatt mean?
15:53 - Game changing environments for Antares's SMR
19:30 - Terrestrial business model
20:39 - Nuclear fuel supply chain
21:35 - Current state and future prediction of fuel pipeline
23:42 - Safety in contested environments
26:49 - Hardest technical challenges
29:52 - What will it take to get to their first electron
31:23 - Competition
34:27 - US vs its adversaries
36:29 - Navigating regulatory guidelines
38:10 - Impact of Trump's Executive Orders
40:03 - NRC
41:12 - Are we living in a VC renaissance for nuclear?
44:05 - What drives Jordan to work on nuclear?
46:30 - For those afraid of nuclear

• Show notes •

Jordan’s socials — https://x.com/jordanbramble

Antares’ socials — https://x.com/AntaresNuclear

Antares’ website — https://boomsupersonic.com/

Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam

Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace

Ignition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear /

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/

Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/

Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/

• About us •

Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies.

• Payload: www.payloadspace.com

• Ignition: www.ignition-news.com

• Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

Strategic Nuclear Energy, with Jordan Bramble (CEO of Antares)

Valley of Depth