ITER Installs Sixth of Nine Tokamak Sector Modules — Two-Thirds of Core Complete, Six Months Ahead of Schedule

ITER completed installation of tokamak sector module #1 — the sixth of nine sector modules and the last of the Korean-manufactured vacuum vessel sectors — on July 28, 2026, following a lift operation that began July 27 and lasted nearly 30 hours, mobilizing more than 100 staff and contractors. The module and its custom lifting rig weighed almost 1,400 tonnes combined. With this installation, two-thirds of the ITER plasma chamber is now in place (modules #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, and #1), and the ITER Organization says it is running almost six months ahead of the Baseline 2024 schedule. The seventh sector module install is expected before the end of 2026, with the final module targeted for mid-2027. The milestone follows May 2026's declaration by Director-General Pietro Barabaschi that ITER is, for the first time in its history, on budget and on schedule.