Design and Simulation, Not Yet Built
Every performance figure for the breeder is a design and simulation value today; no unit is built, and no hardware net-gain is claimed.
Where the program actually is
It is important to state plainly: Hyperion is a design and simulation study. No unit is built. Construction of the first-of-a-kind machine is scheduled to begin in Q2 2027, with first tritium targeted near 2030. Everything before that is design, analysis, and simulation.
What that means for the numbers
- Q_sci 3.076 and 85.0 MW fusion power are design-point targets
- 16.84 T peak field and 9.66 MA plasma current are design values
- TBR across 1.1/1.5/1.8 is a design lever, not a measured result
- Products near 4 kg/yr tritium class and 1.97 kg/yr helium-3 are projected outputs
No net-gain claim before FOAK
The program makes no claim of hardware net gain, and in fact the breeder does not target net electricity at all, only fusion gain. Any figure describing performance is a prediction to be tested at the gates, reported measured-versus-predicted.
Why say this so directly
Fusion has been harmed by overclaiming. Stating design-versus-built status clearly, on every relevant page, is how the program keeps its credibility. The value of the work is real, a rigorous design and a concrete build plan, but it is design, and calling it anything else would be dishonest.
When the machine is built and the gates are passed, these values become results. Until then, they are the targets the build is organized to meet.