‘Got my fingers crossed.’ As ITER fusion project marks milestone, chief ponders pandemic impact | Science | AAAS

‘Got my fingers crossed.’ As ITER fusion project marks milestone, chief ponders pandemic impact | Science | AAAS

Fingers crossed at ITER fusion project

ITER, the US$25-billion multinational project aiming to demonstrate nuclear-fusion energy, has passed a major milestone — despite hiccups caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The largest piece of the project’s tokamak reactor — the huge steel dish that will eventually serve as the base of the rest of the reactor — has been installed. “We are now [spending] at around €1 million per day minimum,” says the project’s director general, Bernard Bigot. So any delays would be enormously costly. “I’ve got my fingers crossed that we never see another coronavirus wave.”

Science | 6 min read