Careful insertion, perfect fit

In this episode of Behind the Science of Fusion, join ITER vacuum engineers Robert Pearce and Liam Worth for a live conversation that proves that "nothing" can be truly fascinating. Co-hosts Kruti Mawani Fayot and Julia Ponomareva explore how science fiction has inspired real-world engineering, dig deep into the everyday engineering challenges involving plasma, inspection, vacuum systems and cryogenics, and share plenty of laughs along the way.

You’ll also hear surprising stories about inspection, cleaning, coconuts (yes, really, coconuts), spin-off applications, and how lessons from past experiments are shaping ITER’s vacuum engineering and paving the way for future fusion machines.

Tune into Episode 5, "All About Nothing," for good humour, insights and a peek behind the curtain of one of fusion’s most fascinating challenges.  Find “All About Nothing” on the ITER website's podcast page or open it directly here. You can also find this episode and all past episodes of the ITER podcast at Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean. 

On 30 October 2025, ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi and Deputy Head of the Engineering Services Department Mario Merola participated in an episode of the program "Astrea: the future to come, (Astrea: il futuro che verrà) hosted by Rosanna Piras and broadcast on Radio Radio TV in Italy.

The episode, titled "The Future of Energy Comes from the Sun and the Stars" ("Il Futuro Dell'Energia Viene dal Sole e Dalle Stelle"), was entirely dedicated to fusion and ITER.

Listen to the 27-minute program from Thursday 30 October here (in Italian). 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Japan's National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) have completed the manufacturing of the first outer vertical target of the ITER divertor. Three types of plasma-facing targets (outer vertical target, inner vertical target and dome) mounted on divertor cassette bodies form the "cassette assemblies" that will be installed in a ring at the bottom of the ITER plasma chamber. In a tokamak, the divertor plays an important role in the removal and expelling of unburned fuel and impurities in the core plasma to sustain the fusion reaction in a stable manner.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is responsible for the manufacturing of 38 outer vertical target units. Series production is now underway.

Read the full press release in English or Japanese.

From 4 to 6 November, Paris will host the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE)—the world's largest civil nuclear exhibition, expected to welcome more than 25,000 participants.

The ITER Organization will be present at WNE 2025. Here’s how you can meet and engage with us during the event:

• Stand L123: for the duration of the conference
• Tuesday 4 November, 17:00-17:50, Workshop Room 3: "ITER procurement procedures and opportunities" with ITER Procurement Section Leader Takakazu Kimura and Fusion for Energy Market Analyst Benjamin Perier.
• Wednesday 5 November, 11:15-12:30, Main Stage: "From Breakthroughs to Industry: Delivering Fusion Energy at Global Scale," a panel discussion with ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi and representatives from RWE Nuclear GmbH, Ansaldo Nucleare, Westinghouse Electric Company, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the European Commission Directorate-General for Energy.

See you there!