In addition to Lawrence Livermore, Argonne National Laboratory and Japan's Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (Criepi) are participating. Criepi already has contributed some money toward the project. Creators of the STAR concept are hoping either Westinghouse or General Electric eventually might join the project for commercialization.

Criepi has been working separately on its own small reactor -- the "Rapid" design series that originated from a quest to develop a power base system for the moon or Mars -- that would be ideal for remote locations.

[Source: Jenny Weil (McGraw-Hill), "Small reactors for remote areas get congressional attention", Nucleonics Week, November 28, 2002, p. 9]