ITER is a massive doughnut-shaped magnetic fusion unit called a tokamak.
The projects previous baselineits timeframe and the benchmarks within itwas established in 2016.
The global pandemic that started in 2020 interrupted much of ITERs ongoing operations, delaying matters further.
An illustration of the ITER tokamak containing a plasma.Illustration:Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The new baseline has been redesigned to prioritize the Start of Research Operations.
Full magnetic energy is pushed back three years, from 2033 to 2036.
Progress on ITER is being made, albeit slowly, and at greater costs than initially projected.
A mockup of the ITER tokamak and its integrated systems.Illustration:Oak Ridge National Laboratory
ITER is intended to prove fusion powers technological feasibility, but importantly not its economic viability.
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