Drone video from inside a Fukushima reactor confirms a hole in its pressure vessel for 1st time
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Tiny micro-drones sent into the damaged Unit 3 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi captured rare footage showing a large hole in the steel pressure vessel and lumps of likely melted fuel debris hanging inside, marking the first visual of the vessel's bottom since the 2011 meltdown.
- The drones, measuring just 12 by 13 centimeters and weighing 95 grams, conducted multiple flights to navigate debris and damaged structures, collecting visual, radiation, and spatial data over a two-week mission starting March 5.
- TEPCO confirmed the presence of ruptures and melted fuel deposits inside the containment chamber, with the data aiding in creating a detailed 3D map of the reactor's interior to inform future investigations and fuel debris removal strategies.
- This mission
