Lovers often pledge to bring down the moon and stars for their beloved through songs and poetry. People yearn for fame as bright as the sun. Meanwhile, China's determined scientists are arduously striving to create a sun and moon right here on Earth, and they have achieved some breakthroughs in this monumental experiment.
Today, we discuss the blazing sun, millions of kilometers away from Earth, a celestial body that China is replicating in its labs. Recently, China has achieved remarkable success, making its artificial sun blaze for nearly 17 minutes.
In the journey of scientific progress, this is a milestone where we see the dream of clean energy manifesting itself. Clean energy signifies energy generation devoid of pollution, wherein neither carbon emissions nor greenhouse gases ruining Earth's atmosphere are produced.
What is an Artificial Sun?
China's "Artificial Sun" has been named EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) by their scientists.
The artificial sun is, in fact, a nuclear reactor (Nuclear Fusion). It replicates the chemical reaction occurring in the sun, which generates energy. Scientists aim to recreate this process on Earth to produce limitless clean energy.
Source: aajtak
What Happens Inside the Real Sun?
Let's understand what occurs inside the sun that produces such colossal energy. The sun's energy emanates through a process called Nuclear Fusion, occurring at the core (the center) of the sun, where, due to extreme temperatures and pressure, hydrogen protons combine to form helium nuclei. This process, when protons combine, is termed Nuclear Fusion, and it emits an enormous amount of energy, which comes to Earth in the form of light and heat from the sun.
What Are Chinese Scientists Attempting with the Artificial Sun?
Chinese scientists in EAST are attempting to initiate nuclear fusion reactions in the reactor, wherein hydrogen isotopes (deuterium and tritium) would coalesce under high temperature and pressure to produce helium gas. This process emits substantial energy, akin to the process happening in the sun.
Within EAST, hydrogen isotopes, like deuterium and tritium, are converted into plasma. Plasma exists at a much higher temperature and density compared to regular gas.
For fusion to occur, the plasma temperature must rise to approximately 100 million degrees Celsius, surpassing the sun’s surface temperature many times over. Under such high temperature and pressure, hydrogen isotopes' nuclei fuse to form helium, releasing immense energy.
Chinese scientists aspire to achieve this marvel. In January 2025, they managed to sustain this process for 1,000 seconds or 17 minutes. The next challenge is to extract this energy from the reactor for commercial use, which remains challenging. China aims to achieve this feat in the next 10 to 15 years, with expectations of commercializing the system between 2035-2040.
No Fuel Scarcity, No Imports Needed
The most promising aspect of realizing the dream of an artificial sun is that it requires hydrogen, abundantly available on Earth, eliminating the need for any country to import it.
Source: aajtak
EAST’s progress has demonstrated that long-term plasma stabilization (over 1,000 seconds) is feasible, marking a pivotal step towards fusion energy. This technology can be a saving grace for humanity grappling with an energy crisis.
With Control Comes Energy, Lack of Control Brings Atomic Explosion
At multiple levels, it’s vital to recognize that maintaining control in reactors at these exorbitantly high temperatures is immensely risky, ensuring that nuclear fusion remains under control. Be informed that controlled nuclear fusion spills an endless source of energy, but if uncontrolled, it transforms into an atomic bomb explosion.
What is India Doing?
India cannot stay distant from such a crucial energy project. The process of extracting energy from a technology resembling an artificial sun has been an ongoing endeavor worldwide. Globally, ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) leads as the largest project in this domain. Located in Cadarache, France, it intends to realize nuclear fusion on Earth, facilitating commercial fusion energy. France is developing this project with the collaboration of 35 countries, with an estimated budget of $45 billion.
Moreover, India is pursuing its own quest to develop an artificial sun. India embarked on this journey in the 1980s when it created the SINP Tokamak, a colossal vessel where fusion experiments are executed.
India concentrates on constructing fusion reactors such as Tokamak and Stellarator, which well-tune plasma under high temperature and pressure to enable fusion processes.
India’s Aditya and Stellarator
Aditya, India's first Tokamak, was commissioned in 1989. It was recently upgraded to Aditya-U, intending to stably control plasma for extended durations, facilitating practical fusion energy applications.
India's significant stride toward an artificial sun is represented by the Steady State Superconducting Tokamak-1 (SST-1), a state-of-the-art nuclear fusion laboratory equipment or reactor developed in India. This reactor has been operational since 2013, developed by the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Source: aajtak
According to some reports, SST-1 has successfully generated plasma at temperatures as high as 200 million degrees Celsius, approximately 20 times hotter than the sun’s core.
India Joins the Elite Club
This achievement positions India among the elite circle of just six countries possessing this technology.
It’s notable that SST-1 stands as India's strategic and tactical asset, with minimal details available on public forums. SST-1 is constructed to operate in a steady-state, implying sustained plasma control over long periods, a prerequisite for commercial fusion plants. Like China, Indian scientists have also aimed to maintain plasma stability for 1,000 seconds.
Now, India endeavors to build SST-2. This version will incorporate an advanced plasma system, projected for completion by 2027.
In India, institutions such as the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), IIT, are conducting research to construct fusion reactors. India's future goal is to develop its indigenous fusion reactor.
