US EditionHelion Hits 150 Million Degrees in Private Fusion First
Helion’s Polaris prototype reached 150 million °C plasma temperature, demonstrating the first private deuterium-tritium fusion and advancing commercial fusion goals.
- On Feb. 13, 2026, Helion announced that its Polaris prototype reached 150 million degrees Celsius and produced measurable deuterium‑tritium fusion, marking a private‑sector milestone.
- Driven by a 2028 PPA for grid power, Polaris began operating at the end of 2024 and switched to deuterium-tritium testing this January as part of an ongoing campaign.
- The reactor's field‑reversed configuration uses an hourglass chamber where magnets accelerate plasmas starting around 10 million to 20 million degrees Celsius, and Helion harvests electricity directly from magnetic field changes, refining circuits last year to boost recovery.
- Jean Paul Allain, Associate Director for Fusion Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy, said the results impress and help de-risk fusion commercialization, while Helion framed D-T testing as validating engineering and setting private-sector benchmarks.
- Helion aims for 200 million degrees Celsius as it plans to move toward deuterium‑helium‑3 fuel, which it must produce itself due to scarcity on Earth.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Helion Announces Fusion Milestone, Moves Closer to Commercial Deployment
Fusion energy company Helion said its Polaris prototype has set new industry benchmarks, becoming the first privately developed fusion energy machine to demonstrate measurable deuterium-tritium fusion and achieve plasma temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius.
Sam Altman’s fusion startup Helion Energy hits 150 million degree plasma temperature—a milestone that could bring first grid power in 2028
The achievement is well above the threshold to eventually generate stable fusion power, and could put Helion on track for its ambitious 2028 grid power goal.
TechCrunch
RocketNewsFusion startup Helion hits blistering temps as it races toward 2028 deadline
Helion's Polaris device hit 150 million degrees C recently, a milestone that nudges the company toward its commercial power plant that will sell electricity to Microsoft.
Record Setting Fusion Landmark Set
Video from today by Helion Energy, a fusion startup that is aiming for an actual working reactor in this decade. This morning, February 13, the company reached a new milestone in it’s development. Reuters: Helion Energy, a startup backed by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SoftBank’s venture capital arm, has started construction on a site for … Continue reading "Record Setting Fusion Landmark Set"
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