A finger on the installation’s pulse

2026-03-09 - The convoluted shape of this thermal shield panel is striking. Knowing that it will fit perfectly as it is closed over part of the vacuum vessel sector, it's easy to imagine that it is designed to fit around all kinds of protrusions and openings.

2026-03-06 - Vacuum vessel sector #9 from Europe arrives on site in the early morning of Friday 6 March. This is the seventh sector (of nine) to be delivered. The final two are expected later this year.

2026-03-04 - Cherry trees line the road leading to the entrance of ITER Headquarters. This week, the blossoms opened in a celebratory sign of spring.

2026-03-04 - Work to connect the toroidal field coil superstructure is happening in tooling as well as in the pit. Here, the coils that have been closed around vacuum vessel sector #4 in tooling are being attached with intercoil structural components.

2026-03-03 - A 300-tonne, D-shaped magnet is moved by the overhead bridge cranes toward a waiting upending tool. One firmly attached within the tool frame (grey), the coil and frame will be raised to vertical.

2026-03-02 - Assembly teams are working on the connections that link ITER’s toroidal field coils into a unified structure engineered to withstand extreme electromagnetic forces. In this photo, intercoil structures are used to connect two toroidal field coils from adjacent sector modules in the pit.

2026-03-02 - ENN Science and Development Co. Ltd (China) is the second private sector initiative to join the International Tokamak Physics and Engineering Activity (ITPEA) after it completes all the steps of a formal process opened to private sector fusion firms in 2025. ENN will join ITPEA physics activities from April 2026.

2026-02-28 - Vacuum vessel sector #9 is loaded onto a flat-bottomed boat to cross the inland sea of Berre. When it arrives at ITER next week, it will be the seventh sector on site. Two others are expected later this year to complete sector deliveries.

2026-02-26 - In February, members of the ITER Organization Science Division take part in the participate in an Experiment Team Coordination Meeting at the JT-60SA tokamak in Naka, Japan. The next campaign planned on the device will address critical ITER priorities.

2026-02-25 - Workers and welders have to manage coactivity inside the ITER vacuum vessel where space is restricted.

2026-02-21 - Vacuum vessel sector #9 is loaded on 21 February in Monfalcone, Italy. The 400-tonne sector—the third of five expected from Europe—will arrive at ITER in March.

2026-02-20 - Radiographic testing on vacuum vessel sector #1 is underway as the sector is suspended vertically in tooling. This last set of tests, carried out against the backdrop of a lead "curtain" (in yellow) will confirm the compliance of bevel joint repair and the uniformity of the welding.

2026-02-19 - A technician watches closely as a 16-tonne plant component crosses overhead on its way to the Tokamak Building.

2026-02-19 - A smaller crane (capacity 50 tonnes) is used to move a plant component into the Tokamak Building through a temporary opening. This "cold valve box" will regulate the cryogenic fluids destined for different parts of the ITER thermal shield.