The National Ignition Facility (NIF), a laser system designed to produce nuclear fusion reactions that release more energy than used to produce them, is now up and running.

By 2010 or 2011 the NIF’s 192 lasers will be able to deliver 1.8 megajoules of energy in a few billionths of a second to one 2-millimeter sphere filled with hydrogen isotopes. The energy will ignite a fusion reaction and generate at least 10 times the energy delivered by the lasers.