The samples will now be cooled down over the next several months in preparation for post-irradiation examination, which is expected to begin later this year. The samples were removed on May 6, 2026, with Lightbridge’s full-time fuel engineering team and senior management — 24 Lightbridge personnel in total — on site at INL for the milestone. On May 7, the Lightbridge team met with the INL personnel leading the project, including John Wagner, Laboratory Director of Idaho National Laboratory, and Jess Gehin, Associate Lab Director. Lightbridge discussed progress to date and the path forward across multiple Lightbridge projects currently underway at INL.