More than 50 years ago, nuclear power through fission was the excitement of its day. People tried using it to power almost everything, even planes. In the end, operational hurdles prevented fission from widespread use.
At Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, they’re making advancements in the development of fusion energy, the ultimate form of renewable power. They're scientists and engineers are looking at the biggest natural fusion reactor for inspiration – the sun. By containing the power of the sun in a small magnetic bottle, they are on the fast track to developing compact fusion reactors to serve the world’s ever-growing energy needs.
While fission continues to power our nuclear reactors today, fusion offers a cleaner, safer source of energy.
Fission occurs when one atom is split into two smaller fragments, creating an explosion of sorts and resulting in the release of heat energy.
Fusion is the process by which a gas is heated up and separated into its ions and electrons. When the ions get hot enough, they can overcome their mutual repulsion and collide, fusing together. When this happens, they release a lot of energy – about one million times more powerful than a chemical reaction and 3-4 times more powerful than a fission reaction.