Scientists are conducting experiments to generate clean energy through fusion, the same sub-atomic reaction that powers our Sun, with the aim of constructing plants that produce more energy than they consume. Correspondent Ben Tracy visits the National Ignition Facility, in Livermore, Calif., where the largest laser ever built is used as part of the process; and Commonwealth Fusion Systems in Massachusetts, where super-heated plasma burns around 180 million degrees Fahrenheit.

Fusion Energy: Unlocking the Power of the Stars For millennia, humanity has looked to the stars, not just for inspiration, but for a potential solution to its energy needs.

The sun, a colossal fusion reactor, burns brightly, powered by the merging of atomic nuclei – a process releasing unimaginable energy.

Replicating this process on Earth, harnessing the power of fusion energy, is a scientific quest of immense ambition and potential.

Fusion, unlike fission (which powers current nuclear reactors), involves combining light atomic nuclei, typically isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium), to form heavier nuclei, such as helium.

This process releases a tremendous amount of energy, far exceeding that of fission and without the long-lived radioactive waste.

The fuel itself, deuterium, is readily available from seawater, making fusion a virtually inexhaustible energy source.

The challenge, however, lies in replicating the sun's conditions here on Earth.

The immense pressures and temperatures required to initiate and sustain fusion are staggering – millions of degrees Celsius and pressures exceeding those at the center of the Earth.

Scientists are pursuing several approaches to achieve these conditions: Magnetic Confinement: This approach uses powerful magnetic fields to contain the superheated plasma (ionized gas) long enough for fusion reactions to occur.

The most prominent example is the tokamak, a doughnut-shaped device that uses complex magnetic coils to confine the plasma.

ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), a massive international collaboration in France, is the largest tokamak ever built, aiming to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy.

Inertial Confinement: This technique uses powerful lasers or ion beams to compress tiny fuel pellets, rapidly heating and igniting them to initiate fusion reactions.

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has made significant progress in this area, achieving a milestone by producing more energy from fusion than was used to initiate the reaction in December 2022, though not yet reaching net positive energy production on a sustained basis.

Despite the significant progress, fusion energy remains a long-term endeavor.

The technological hurdles are substantial, requiring breakthroughs in materials science, plasma physics, and engineering.

The cost of building and operating these facilities is also immense.

However, the potential rewards are equally significant: Clean Energy: Fusion produces little to no greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste, making it a truly clean energy source.

Abundant Fuel: The fuel for fusion is readily available, ensuring long-term energy security.

High Energy Density: Fusion produces an immense amount of energy from a relatively small amount of fuel.

While commercial fusion power plants are still decades away, the progress made in recent years is inspiring.

The scientific community remains dedicated to overcoming the remaining challenges, driven by the promise of a sustainable, clean, and virtually limitless energy future – a future powered by the same process that lights the stars.

Unlocking the power of the stars remains a challenging, but potentially transformative, goal for humanity.