Feature Stories

The Idaho National Laboratory has changed the world for more than 75 years through work in nuclear energy, national security and other innovative technologies. From early nuclear reactor demonstrations to establishing tomorrow’s robust electrical grid, here are 10 of the most impactful INL achievements that benefit our nation and the world:

Scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have achieved a historic breakthrough in nuclear energy by launching full-scale production of enriched fuel salt for the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE)—the world’s first test of a molten chloride salt fast reactor.

The 2025 Army-Navy college football game kicks off Dec. 13 in Baltimore, Maryland, continuing one of America’s most storied rivalries.

First played in 1890, Army-Navy has endured through wars, peace and generations of cadets and midshipmen. Army-Navy stands apart as more than game — it’s a national tradition that honors service and sacrifice. Every player on the field has taken an oath to defend the nation with their lives. Its traditions embody duty, discipline and respect between rivals who serve the same nation.

Additive Engineering Solutions, an Ohio-based company that’s now a leader in large-format 3D printing, began as an idea sparked by additive manufacturing research at the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, or MDF, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

A team of engineers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed ways to rapidly evaluate new thermal protection materials for hypersonic vehicles. Their three-year research project combined computer modeling, laboratory experiments and flight testing to better understand how heat shields behave under extreme temperatures and pressures, and to predict their performance much faster than before.

Tech startup Atomic Canyon used the Frontier supercomputer to train nuclear-specific AI models to radically speed up document search and analysis capabilities for nuclear reactors. The AI models are designed to radically reduce the time, labor and resources the nuclear industry spends searching the millions upon millions of complex nuclear documents related to parts, maintenance records, engineering evaluations, regulations and plant procedures. Once fully developed, the open-source AI models could be used in plants all across the country.

Future Foundries seamlessly integrates multiple manufacturing processes, delivering a flexible, end-to-end solution for efficient part production that meets stringent qualification and certification standards. By running workflows concurrently, the platform achieves remarkable efficiency, cutting production cycles by up to 68%.

Much is still unknown about how quantum computers behave and what they might one day help humans achieve. But a team at Sandia National Laboratories has developed a process to understand how to use quantum systems more efficiently — using the analogy of a simple jukebox.

For more than 60 years, the High Flux Isotope Reactor has produced neutron beams for the benefit of society, creating real-world impacts that span energy security, quantum computing, healthcare, national defense and advanced materials. 

Veterans of the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program are bringing their expertise to the Department of Energy’s High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, applying the same precision and discipline that powers the Navy’s fleets to America’s science, energy and security missions.