Part 10/12:
Looking ahead, Kirtley envisions a future where thousands of fusion power plants are commonplace, powering everything from global industries to interplanetary missions. The immediate goal is a fusion pilot plant delivering electricity to the grid by 2028, with ambitions for gigafactory scaled production of fusion generators.
He emphasizes that ongoing innovations—improved materials, electrical engineering, AI-driven control, and manufacturing—are accelerating the path from experimental prototypes to commercial systems. This rapid development model could revolutionize energy access, climate change mitigation, and space exploration.