Solénoïde central : General Atomics marque la fin d'une aventure industrielle

Look up! Along ITER’s north façade, a 40 m-high ‘super scaffold’ has taken shape. Built from 4,000+ pieces, it’s here to help install the vital cooling water pipes proving that even scaffolds can be showstoppers. #iter #fusion

ITER DG Pietro Barabaschi addressed the 69th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, noting ITER’s strongest performance to date—major magnets completed, vessel assembly ahead of schedule—and ITER’s pledge to share knowledge with the global fusion community. #iter #fusion #iaea

The meeting room at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Headquarter was packed on Tuesday when representatives from the French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Authority (ASNR), the ITER Organization, Germany and the European Commission discussed the “Framework for Fusion: Insights from ITER in France and prospects for Internationals Standards”. The discussion was part of the General Conference taking place in Vienna this week. #ITER #fusion #IAEA

The MCTB cryostat has set sail from ZhangJiaGang Port, China. After loading on 10 August and passing all safety checks, it is now en route to France, with arrival expected in early to mid-September. This massive component is part of the Magnet Cold Test Bench, a unique facility where ITER’s superconducting Toroidal Field coils—and Poloidal Field Coil #1 — will be tested at cryogenic temperatures near 4K before installation in the machine. #ITER #FusionEnergy #BigScience #Engineering

ITER has reached a new milestone: the first Japanese gyrotron is now in place and prepared for commissioning. Gyrotrons are powerful RF generators that produce microwaves at 170 GHz—each delivering up to 1 MW of power. These beams will heat ITER’s plasma to fusion conditions and help control instabilities. In total, ITER will host 72 gyrotrons: 48 for the Start of Research Operations another 24 for DT-1 With cabling complete and power supply in place, commissioning of the first unit begins this September. #ITER #FusionEnergy #Gyrotron #Plasma #FusionPower #BigScience #EnergyFuture #Tokamak #ScientificBreakthrough

ITER Cryopump Reaches 5K: A Major Milestone Achieved For the first time, ITER’s cryopumps have been successfully cooled to 5 K at the Cryopump Test Facility — marking a major achievement after more than two decades of development. At this ultra-low temperature, the pumps achieved a vacuum of 10⁻⁷ Pa, equivalent to a millionth of a millionth of Earth’s atmospheric pressure. Using cryogenically cooled coconut charcoal, the system efficiently captured helium, the main exhaust gas from fusion reactions. This breakthrough not only validates a unique ITER technology, but also confirms its potential for future steady-state fusion power plants. #FusionEnergy #ITER #Cryogenics #ScientificBreakthrough #FusionTech