Under normal conditions, the Wendelstein 7-X, an experimental fusion reactor in Germany, is off-limits—but during a scheduled maintenance window, National Geographic's Paolo Verzone and Massimo Nicolaci gained exclusive access. The twisting interior of this stellarator is designed to generate clean energy by fusing atoms together, like the nuclear fusion that occurs inside a star. Discover more about the Wendelstein 7-X: https://on.natgeo.com/3NmU0D3 | National Geographic Science

Wendelstein 7-X has begun it's second campaign, and here is glimpse of an ECRH plasma. Video by EUROfusion researcher Carlos K. Guérard. | EUROfusion

40 Million Degrees Celsius: Germany’s Largest Fusion Reactor Sets New World Record The world’s most powerful stellarator, Wendelstein 7-X, has raised the so-called triple product to a record level during long plasma discharge times — a key benchmark in the global race toward nuclear fusion. The reactor near Greifswald achieved plasma durations of over 43 seconds with temperatures reaching up to 40 million degrees Celsius — more than twice as hot as the center of our Sun. A crucial factor in this