California Startup Starts Drilling World’s First Underground Nuclear Borehole

Deep Fission plans to drill three test holes in rural Kansas as part of a larger project to develop small modular nuclear reactors.

The drill rig at the Deep Fission site in Parsons, Kansas. Deep Fission

Deep Fission, a California-based nuclear energy startup, started drilling the world’s first underground nuclear borehole March 10 in Kansas, taking a major step forward in building small modular pressurized water reactors one mile below the surface.

The test project is being funded as part of the Trump administration’s plan to breathe new life into the American nuclear sector by investing in new technology.