Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Altivue's tethered balloon being readied for an aerial photo campaign over the ITER site.

The helium-filled balloon is a familiar sight for the ITER staff. It can be seen twice or thrice a year hovering 150 metres above the ITER platform, slowly drifting along with the breeze.

On a bright Thursday morning last week, the balloon, operated by Altivue's Cyril Becquart, was back after a six-month absence.

Images from this new survey should be made available this coming week, adding a new chapter to the "visual memory" of the ITER project.