Getting warmer in attempt to reach ignition

Fusion energy output hits modest milestone

ALIGNING THE TARGET  Workers perform maintenance on the National Ignition Facility’s target chamber. When devoid of people, this is where 192 laser beams fire simultaneously at a gold cylinder containing a capsule coated in hydrogen fuel. The positioner that holds the cylinder steady is at right. 

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

A quick-hitting laser pulse has breathed new life into a multibillion-dollar effort to generate substantial amounts of fusion energy.