In a record-shattering scientific milestone, China’s “artificial sun” — officially known as the EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) reactor — sustained a temperature of 158 million degrees Fahrenheit for over 30 minutes. That’s more than five times hotter than the core of the real Sun.
This test, achieved in 2025, is the most significant advancement yet in nuclear fusion, the elusive energy source that powers the stars. Fusion promises nearly limitless, carbon-free energy without the radioactive waste associated with nuclear fission. But the challenge has always been maintaining the extreme heat and plasma stability long enough for fusion to occur sustainably.
China’s EAST reactor uses powerful magnetic fields to suspend superheated plasma in a donut-shaped chamber, simulating the conditions inside the Sun. While similar temperatures have been reached in other experiments, this is the first time such heat has been sustained for over 30 minutes — a crucial benchmark in moving from theory to scalable power generation.
This accomplishment is more than just numbers on a thermometer. It’s a turning point. According to Chinese scientists, the EAST test proves that fusion stability is now within technological reach. The long-term goal: a commercial fusion power plant by 2035.
If successful, this would revolutionize the global energy market, offering a near-endless source of clean energy that could replace fossil fuels entirely.
In the race toward sustainable energy, China is no longer just chasing the sun — it’s building one. And the future of power may never look the same again.