UK nuclear gun firm dumps reactor plans, bets big on space tech

Oxfordshire-based startup First Light Fusion has announced a big shift in its nuclear gun strategy. The company will no longer develop a proposed ignition demonstration plant called Machine 4.

Instead, it aims to commercialize its technology for various applications within the defense and space sectors.

In 2022, the company announced its prototype, the Big Friendly Gun (BFG). This technology would allow it to achieve nuclear fusion without relying on lasers and powerful magnets.

First Light Fusion’s nuclear fusion ‘gun’

First Light Fusion claims it has shifted its strategy to start making revenue as soon as this year. Nuclear fusion famously has the potential to alter the energy landscape completely. The method produces power using the same method as the Sun and the stars.

Fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form a heavier nucleus, releasing vast amounts of energy.

However, fusion companies require much investment to make incremental steps towards this ultimate goal. They also rely on the promise of fusion becoming a reality in the not-too-distant future.

First Light Fusion claims its pistol shrimp-inspired technology could cut costs by removing the need for powerful magnets required to control the fiery plasma for the nuclear fusion process. The company’s Big Friendly Gun (BFG) is a massive £1.1 million ($1.27 million) steel gun that fires a high-velocity piston with 6.6 lbs of gunpowder.

The “gun” compresses hydrogen gas, which smashes a piston through a metal seal. This fires a projectile at 4.3 miles (6.9 km) per second into a vacuum chamber, hitting a falling nuclear fusion fuel pellet.

Inspired by the pistol shrimp, the process produces the conditions required for nuclei to fuse together. First Light Fusion’s technology has passed several key tests, including breaking a pressure record last year.

Will this be a trend for the wider fusion industry?

Despite the potential of its relatively low-cost method, First Light Fusion has restrategized to drive revenue.

In a press statement, it explains that “advancements in First Light’s proprietary amplifier technology, combined with progress in the wider inertial fusion energy (IFE) sector, has provided an opportunity for the company to shift its business strategy, to capitalize on the huge IFE market opportunities enabling earlier revenues and lowering the long-term funding requirement.”

Its new strategy creates a “capital-light, high-margin business that will generate revenue from this year.”

According to the company, its amplifiers have more than double pressure levels. They also increase speed by 75 percent when compared with existing gas guns.

First, Light Fusion’s new strategy will partner with other inertial fusion firms. The company will provide its amplifier technology that can “form a critical and complementary part of a commercial fusion power plant, regardless of driver approach,” it explained in its statement. “This replaces previous plans to build its power plant based on a projectile fusion approach.”

The startup will also partner with universities and research institutions for non-fusion applications. This includes a newly announced partnership with NASA and the Open University to explore the potential for using First Light’s amplifier technology for high-velocity impact testing.

Nuclear fusion is a notoriously uncertain field. While the rewards for successful projects would be enormous, there are no guarantees it will work. Outwardly, at least, First Light doesn’t appear to be altering its plans due to a lack of faith in its technology. Instead, its strategy shift is down to a reasonable desire to bring in revenue in the short term as it strives toward its long-term goals.