Crystal Bentley

The future should look like the future

@kaiarhodes @thelighthouse Doing everything right

We’re bringing mission patches back

This is actually really good. Watching the premiere episode now. Like casting and forging content? You will be happy. Recreating George Washington's Sword (Cast in Steel: Ep. 1) youtu.be/b9nrlzGLOmk?si… via @YouTube

America’s Defense Industrial Base starts here. Build Freedom welcomed Mike Rowe to @MPMaterials to showcase the nation’s only active rare earth mine and processing plant, home to one of the world’s richest rare earth deposits, and the skilled workforce powering our future!

we are going full out production in pursuit of american reindustrialization

Sound on! Check out some behind-the-scenes virtual reality footage.

AALO ATOMICS ACHIEVES CRITICALITY MILESTONE; MEETS EXECUTIVE ORDER GOAL From Founding to Fission in Less than Three Years, Aalo on Track to Become the Preeminent Nuclear Power Source for Modern AI Data Centers. AUSTIN, Texas, July 6, 2026 – Aalo Atomics, the company building fully modular nuclear plants to power modern AI data centers, demonstrated criticality for its Aalo-X Critical Test Reactor in the early morning hours of July 4, 2026 at Idaho National Labs (INL), meeting President Trump’s July 4th goal for companies in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. Criticality, which marks the first self-sustaining chain reaction within a nuclear fission reactor, was achieved under Department of Energy (DOE) authorization. “Reaching criticality is our most significant milestone to date, as it paves the way for the deployment of the Aalo Pod to power commercial data centers once it receives authorization from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” said Matt Loszak, CEO, Aalo Atomics. “More importantly, the Aalo-X Critical Test Reactor has the same full-scale core components as our commercial reactors. The Aalo-X’s 10 MWe reactor design positions it as the premier power provider for the modern data center.” “Last month I toured the Aalo facility at Idaho National Laboratory and was impressed by the company’s determination to successfully demonstrate their technology by the Fourth of July,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “President Trump asked for three advanced reactors to be authorized and achieve criticality before the 250th anniversary of our great country. I’m pleased to share that through the dedication and hard work of Aalo, INL and DOE, we have surpassed that ask and delivered four!” Underscoring Aalo’s commitment to meeting the power needs of today’s data centers, the company has already begun work on its second nuclear reactor (located next to the Aalo-X test reactor at INL) for Project Ascension, testing acommercial-scale system that will produce electricity and power for an on-site data center in the coming months. In addition, Aalo recently announced a collaboration with Microsoft and Nvidia to lay the groundwork for an automated co-piloting system that could transform how a fleet of nuclear reactors operates safely. “Aalo has demonstrated unprecedented speed, as well as a commitment to quality and safety, in bringing its first nuclear reactor to life, but now is not the time for rest,” said Yasir Arafat, President & CTO, Aalo Atomics. “Criticality is just the beginning. In the coming months we will continue building and testing multiple reactors, including the commercial Aalo Pod design which in the next 18 months will provide a scalable and affordable power option to data centers and enterprises.” Fuel rods for the Critical Test Reactor were fabricated by GE Vernova’s nuclear fuel business, Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), and delivered to the site in early April. Once Aalo completed its Readiness Assessment and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright signed the final approval to load fuel, Aalo was able to “flip the switch” and achieve criticality. Aalo’s celebration was intentionally reminiscent of Chicago Pile-1 (CP-1), the first self-sustaining, controlled nuclear chain reaction that occurred 84 years ago on December 2, 1942. CP-1 represents the birth of nuclear reactors, and today INL is the leading U.S. site for developing and testing them. Aalo will be holding a commemorative event to celebrate its criticality milestone in Idaho Falls on July 30, 2026.

@ThaaatColin Gotchu

Make sure you take lots of videos of fireworks that you’ll never watch again 🇺🇸

@ashleevance This is an amazing episode @ashleevance. Just wow

Vast hopes to get its new space station - Haven-1 - up in orbit by 2027. And so, we went to Long Beach to see the space station being manufactured and to explore what life might be like aboard it. We managed to acquire an astronaut for the visit, and he taught me how to pass gas in space. Happy 4th of July. America remains space dominant. You can also find the video on our Core Memory YT channel. Like and subscribe, kids.

This version of The Star Spangled Banner is dedicated to the 322 men and women who will learn this weekend that they received a work ethic scholarship from MRW. A total of $3 million is being awarded this quarter. Details to follow, later today. In the meantime, please join me and a few of our past recipients in a gentle reminder that our national anthem can - and should - be sung in under a minute. And feel free to sing along!

The greatest country in the world. Let’s take it to the stars, building the future one cast, forged or machined part at a time. Happy 250 friends!! 🇺🇸 🦅

Three cities in three weeks. On this eve of our 250th, let me tell you what’s happening in this beautiful country. At the Pentagon, I watched the culmination of nearly two decades of work by Mike Rowe. That came in the form of a $10 million check earmarked specifically for people entering blue collar work. Except, now, if Mike has his way, the collars have no color. What do you call someone who can recite the Stoics while welding a pipe? An American. We need well-rounded citizens who care about each other and have every opportunity at their fingertips. It’s coming. It’s happening. In Detroit, I spoke with a man resurrecting Bethlehem Steel and preparing to hire hundreds of workers in towns across Pennsylvania. I heard Hadrian’s @2112Power telling founders in the audience to “pay your people well. Treat them well.” The brightest minds went to Silicon Valley and changed the world, but they didn’t do it for pennies. If you want the next technological renaissance, pay the welders, the machinists, the steel mill workers what you’d pay the software engineers. In Denver, I walked the grounds of Colorado School of Mines for hours, dreaming about the possibilities that could take place there as they take the next steps to become a METAL hub. Mines has been turning out genius engineers for decades - the next metal startup that changes the country could very well come from there. IACMI members heard from the Artemis chief product designer, among many other people making dents in the manufacturing universe. Alliances were formed, plans were laid that will come to fruition over the coming years in a landscape that may look drastically different sooner than later - in a good way. The future you dreamed about is here. Flying cars are in the air. Humanoids are coming to do your laundry. New ways of reaching critical minerals have been discovered, semiconductor chips are being made in the USA, two guys in an El Segundo garage are machining turbine blades more efficiently and quicker than ever, a mullet-haired man in Utah is making it rain with a drone, enormous factories that automate manufacturing processes are popping up across the country, data centers are getting sent to space, Meta is launching trade schools. Join the movement. Just say no to doom and gloom. The future is here and it’s beautiful. @BuildFreedomUS @mikeroweworks

Hey, I was there! Cool to see this getting such incredible national recognition.

Celebrating the launch of @BuildFreedomUS at the Pentagon with Mike Rowe! Very excited to play a part in this campaign through our programs. Our team will be rolling out Kindergarten-5th grade activities that introduce manufacturing concepts early, along with CNC machine training in high school. It will roll out in Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan in the fall. Mike Rowe and @mikeroweworks were presented with a check for $10 million dollars from the Department of War’s Office of Industrial Base Policy, which leads the charge on Build Freedom. He will also continue to bring awareness to the three states mentioned above of jobs, training, and programs available to anyone that wants to begin a career in the trades. There are about 70 performers that are part of this campaign. It’s incredible to see so many people united by this cause.

Dr. Lowe at Colorado School of Mines is very passionate about mines. And forging. All things metal. We didn’t get to see the drills the size of doors, but we did get to see what will hopefully soon become the next METAL bootcamp hub.

Excited to partner with @mikeroweworks on this program! More info to come.

@leahy30xy @MissAnhthu Yes, you absolutely should. I can actually connect you to someone looking for work- mech eng

@CrystalEBentley @MissAnhthu every person i meet from this school is an excellent engineer. may need to recruit from there

Blade making at Colorado School of Mines. Incredible visit today with @MissAnhthu