Nova (inertial fusion facility)

The NOVA facility was a large laser research center focused on inertial confinement fusion, aiming to replicate the Sun’s energy process on Earth. It used powerful lasers to rapidly heat and compress tiny fuel pellets, creating extremely high temperatures and pressures to initiate nuclear fusion. The goal was to produce more energy than the laser energy input, advancing clean energy research and nuclear physics. Although NOVA achieved significant scientific milestones, it was decommissioned in the 2010s. Essentially, NOVA was a high-tech experiment to unlock the potential of fusion power as a future energy source.