Operations & Commissioning
The First-Plasma Campaign
The initial low-power discharges that prove integrated operation.
- Milestone
- Reproducible first plasma
Once systems are proven cold, the first-plasma campaign achieves breakdown and low-power discharges, demonstrating that magnets, control, vacuum and fuelling work together. It is a headline milestone but only the start of physics operation.
Reproducible plasma initiation is the exit criterion.
Common questions
What is the first-plasma campaign?
The initial period of plasma operation after commissioning, establishing reliable breakdown, current ramp and basic control — the start of physics operation, not the finished machine.
Does first plasma mean the machine works?
It is a major milestone but only the beginning; the power-ascension campaign that follows is what demonstrates real performance.