Timeline to First-of-a-Kind
The dated milestones from construction start through first tritium, stated without net-gain claims.
What the calendar actually says
The breeder program has a public timeline that is deliberately modest in its claims. Construction of the first-of-a-kind (FOAK) breeder begins in Q2 2027. FOAK first tritium is targeted for approximately 2030. Next-of-a-kind (NOAK) and balance-of-kind (BOAK) units follow, incorporating what FOAK teaches.
What each milestone does and does not mean
- Construction start (Q2 2027): the machine begins to be built; it does not mean physics is demonstrated.
- FOAK first tritium (~2030): the breeder produces tritium; this is the first integrated hardware result, and the earliest point any net-gain discussion is even admissible.
- NOAK / BOAK: replication with learning captured — the manufacturing and integration gates mature across units.
The standing rule
No hardware net-gain claim is made before FOAK. The phrase "net gain 2027" has been retired from all materials; 2027 is a construction date, not a performance date. Anyone who reads a stronger claim into the timeline is reading something Kronos does not say.
The burner (Aegis / MetroVolt) sits later still — a test article follows the breeder, not the other way around. Its dates are gated on the plug-density question and on helium-3 availability.