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Re:Nuclear physicist explains why fusion ignition is hailed ... by mikeyouse on Monday December 19, 2022 @01:05PM (#34055320)
NIF being a "military facility" has less to do with laser weapons or power-hungry systems than their type of research indirect drive laser-fusion, being the exact mechanism that takes place in multiple-stage nuclear weapons. The lasers at NIF first generate x-rays, which are then focused on the target to energize the pellet and create fusion.

If you look at the "shot history" of NIF -- the vast majority of their facility's energy is spent on actual DOD weapons research, not fusion research that would be incidentally beneficial to the DOD:

https://lasers.llnl.gov/for-users/nif-target-shot-metrics

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