For three decades the fusion program has sought to demonstrate the ''scientific feasibility'' of producing power from a fusion reactor. As we now approach the fulfillment of that goal, attention is turning to the courses we might take toward the actual production of electrical power from fusion. At one time, it was assumed that the demonstration of scientific feasibility would trigger a major engineering effort to develop fusion power, but this is not likely to occur soon. Rather, supported by a nearly constant federal budget, the program seeks to maintain its scientific breadth in order to improve its product. At the same time, a major step is being advocated, i.e. to produce an ignited plasma, using the front-running tokamak concept. For plasma to ignite, which is to self-sustain a fusion reaction, its confinement must be somewhat better than is needed for the demonstration of scientific feasibility, generally taken to mean the production of as much fusion power as is needed to sustain the plasma. (Only 20% of the power from fusion is in the form of charged particles that can deposit their energy in the plasma, so this ''break-even'' condition falls short of ignition).
