South Korea's superconducting fusion device, KSTAR, also known as the artificial sun, has received an upgrade that will keep it active for longer.
According to media reports, South Korea's Institute of Fusion Energy has said in a statement that a new tungsten diverter has been installed with the superconducting fusion device. From here, it will now operate at a temperature of more than 100 million degrees Celsius for 30 seconds.
The institute's president, Dr. Suk Jae-yu, said that this new capability would lead to the commercial use of nuclear fusion energy. The institute also said that we are leading a joint effort with ITER to accelerate the development of nuclear fusion energy.
It should be noted that ITER is a project to build a large magnetic fusion reactor in southern France. The implementation of the tungsten diverter to take KSTAR to higher temperatures will also provide important data for the ITER program, Dr. Suk Jae-yu said.