Robot Begins Historic Mission at Fukushima: First Step in Decades-Long Cleanup

A long, specialized robot entered the damaged Unit 2 reactor at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a two-week mission to retrieve a small sample of melted fuel debris for the first time, The Associated Press reports.

The robot’s journey to the bottom of the reactor is a critical step in understanding the condition of the melted fuel debris, which poses a major hurdle in the plant’s cleanup. After the devastatig earthquake and tsunami in 2011, the plant’s cooling systems failed, causing the nuclear fuel in the reactor cores to melt. This molten material, resembling lava, dripped down, mixing with various reactor components like zirconium, stainless steel, and even concrete.

The meltdowns led to the highly radioactive material scattering in all directions, complicating the cleanup efforts. The condition of the debris also differs significantly in each of the three reactors affected.

This initial mission is crucial for gathering information about the debris and its composition. The data collected will be essential for planning the next phase of the cleanup, a daunting task expected to last for decades.