Valar's NOVA release (18 Nov 2025) quotes Sonat Sen as 'Valar Atomics' Lead Core Designer', saying NOVA gives real-world data on TRISO fuel performance in Valar's core and helps 'validate our proprietary software stack' used to design its reactors. An R. Sonat Sen of Idaho National Laboratory's Reactor Physics and Analysis group wrote INL report INL/EXT-20-60236 (Sept 2020), a benchmark for pebble-bed reactor fuel depletion; name and field match, but no source read states that the two are the same person. Valar's public safety documents name no individual designers. Valar's Quality Assurance Program Description (p.14) allows 'more modern and efficient' design codes to be used before their complete validation, relying on safety margins and Ward 250's data (safe-018), and the NSDA (p.38) repeats it as provisional use of modern HTGR codes.

• Los Alamos National Laboratory and Valar Atomics Announce Project NOVA Criticality Milestone in Nevada (Valar Atomics, 2025-11-18) primary company “validate our proprietary software stack, which we use to design our power reactors”
• Benchmark for Fuel Shuffling and Depletion for Pebble-Bed Reactors, INL/EXT-20-60236 Rev. 1 (R. Sonat Sen) (Idaho National Laboratory (via DOE OSTI), 2020-09) primary government
• Ward250 San Rafael Facility Quality Assurance Program Description, No. 100474, Rev 02 (status: Approved) (Valar Atomics (Public Documents), 2025-10) primary company “may be used prior to their complete validation”