Inside the world’s first reactor that will power Earth using the same nuclear reaction as the Sun. In the heart of Provence, some of the brightest scientific minds on the planet are setting the stage for what is being called the world’s largest and most ambitious science experiment

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is the world’s largest tokamak, or magnetic confinement chamber. Construction began in 2013, and it’s expected to be fully operational by 2035

The ITER is a collaboration between 35 nations to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear fusion on a large scale. The reactor will use the same nuclear reaction that powers the sun and stars to generate carbon-free energy. 

In nuclear reactors, hydrogen gas is heated to temperatures that strip the electrons away from the hydrogen nuclei. This creates a plasma, which is a cloud of positively charged nuclei and negatively charged electrons. 

Most experts agree that large-scale energy from nuclear fusion is unlikely to be possible before around 2050

The sun is a nuclear reactor that generates energy through nuclear fusion. However, nuclear reactors use a different nuclear reaction than the sun: 

• Nuclear fusion The sun’s core has high pressure and temperature, which causes nuclei to separate from their electrons. Hydrogen nuclei fuse to form one helium atom, releasing radiant energy. 
• Nuclear fission Nuclear reactors use a nuclear reaction called nuclear fission, where heavy atoms are bombarded with neutrons to create lighter atoms. This releases energy in the form of heat and radiation.

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is a multinational nuclear fusion research and engineering project. The project’s goal is to create energy through a fusion process similar to the Sun’s.

ITER is based on the “Tokamak” concept, which involves the reaction of hydrogen isotopes Deuterium and Tritium to produce energy. The project’s primary objective is to investigate and demonstrate burning plasmas. 

The ITER project was founded on October 24, 2007, and is headquartered in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance. The project is a multiphased undertaking that is currently being overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

The European Union is responsible for the largest portion of construction costs (45.6%), with the remainder shared equally by China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States of America.

The primary objective of ITER is the investigation and demonstration of burning plasmas—plasmas in which the energy of the helium nuclei produced by the fusion reactions is enough to maintain the temperature of the plasma, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for external heating

The project aims to create energy through a fusion process similar to that of the Sun. 35 nations are collaborating to build and operate the ITER Tokamak, the most complex machine ever designed. The project seeks to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy. 

The project has a long history of technical challenges and cost overruns. Construction of the main reactor and first plasma is planned for late 2025.

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