An historic fusion ignition was conducted Dec. 5 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the federal research facility in Livermore, California.
A team at the laboratory’s National Ignition Facility “conducted the first controlled fusion experiment in history,” a Department of Energy news release said. The experiment “produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it.”
“Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, was a historic day in science thanks to the incredible people at Livermore Lab and the National Ignition Facility,” Jill Hruby, administrator of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, said in the release. “In making this breakthrough, they have opened a new chapter in NNSA’s Stockpile Stewardship Program.”
The National Nuclear Security Administration’ mission is “to maintain and modernize the nuclear stockpile through the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program,” the administration’s website said, adding that the historic fusion ignition will help support the Stockpile Stewardship Program.
“This is a landmark achievement for the researchers and staff at the National Ignition Facility who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition become a reality, and this milestone will undoubtedly spark even more discovery,” U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in the release.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting our world-class scientists, like the team at NIF, whose work will help us solve humanity’s most complex and pressing problems, like providing clean power to combat climate change and maintaining a nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing,” she added.
The breakthrough comes nine months after the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. Department of Energy held a White House fusion summit in March, a fact sheet said. The latest developments in fusion achievements and technologies, and a 10-year strategy for developing commercial fusion energy were discussed at the summit.
