Dr. Rian Bahran Joins Antares as Chief Nuclear Officer

Former DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Reactors brings two decades of technical, defense, and policy leadership to the company's push toward fielded power systems.

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr. Rian Bahran, who oversaw the federal portfolio for advanced reactor research, demonstration, and deployment at the Department of Energy, has joined Antares as Chief Nuclear Officer. Bahran joins as Antares moves from a demonstrated reactor to fielded systems, following the June 4 initial criticality of its Mark-0 reactor and the close of a $470 million Series C.

Most recently, Bahran served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Reactors at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he oversaw the Department's portfolio for the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of advanced reactors, as well as technologies supporting the existing commercial fleet.

A career member of the Senior Executive Service, he began his career at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he spent over a decade as an experimentalist and program manager. He subsequently served across multiple administrations as a senior advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, receiving the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service, and as assistant director for nuclear technology and strategy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Bahran holds a Ph.D. in nuclear science and engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where his doctoral research was funded by U.S. Naval Reactors in support of the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory Advanced Reactor Program, and a dual B.S. in nuclear engineering and engineering physics from RPI.

At Antares, Bahran will lead nuclear operations, licensing, government affairs, and policy, and drive the company's expansion into new markets.

"Rian has spent his career at every layer of this problem: the experiment, the policy, and the program," said Jordan Bramble, CEO of Antares. "There are very few people who have done all three. As we move from criticality to commercialization, his expertise is exactly what this team needs."

Antares' microreactors are designed to operate safely and autonomously for years without refueling, delivering uninterrupted power to defense installations and other customers operating beyond reliable grid access.

"Antares was first to criticality, and now comes the harder race to commercialization,” said Bahran. “There is no team I would rather run it with, one that puts its head down and delivers. As Chief Nuclear Officer, I’ll help get these reactors built, licensed, and fielded where the country and our allies need them most.”

The appointment follows a series of milestones for Antares, including the first privately developed non-light-water reactor to achieve criticality in the United States in more than four decades, selection by the U.S. Air Force under the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations initiative, and a $470 million Series C co-led by Paradigm and Caffeinated Capital. The company is building toward its Mark-1 electricity-producing reactor in 2027 and initial deployments to defense customers in 2028.

About Antares

Antares is a nuclear fission energy company developing compact microreactors for defense and space applications, delivering safe, reliable power where traditional energy sources cannot. Founded in 2023 and backed by over $600 million in funding, Antares achieved initial criticality of its Mark-0 microreactor in 2026 under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program, and is on track to produce electricity from an advanced reactor in 2027, with initial production deployments to U.S. military installations beginning in 2028. Antares operates facilities in Torrance, California; Idaho Falls, Idaho; and Aiken, South Carolina.