UK nuclear fusion gun startup pivots to space tech after ditching reactor plans
First Light Fusion’s strategy shift creates a “capital-light, high-margin business that will generate revenue from this year.”
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.