"By designating STAR a national user facility, the department is increasing accessing to this important research facility for scientists and researchers across the world," Secretary Abraham said. "INEEL has a reputation of being an outstanding research facility in the area of fusion safety and I am pleased to open this facility to new and different research. Supporting fusion safety research is another example of the way the INEEL applies technical expertise to support DOE's major missions in science, energy and environment."

The STAR facility houses specialized systems for investigating the consequences of accidents in fusion reactors. The facility is designed to host a number of experiments to determine how tritium, the fuel of a fusion power plant, interacts with other materials used in construction. Currently, the STAR facility is hosting a collaboration between the United States and Japan to explore a number of fusion safety and research initiatives.

For further information, contact Dave Petti (pti@inel.gov)