TOKYO (AP) — A remote-controlled robot has safely returned with a tiny piece of melted fuel it collected from inside one of three damaged reactors at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for the first time since the 2011 meltdown.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which manages the plant, said Saturday that the extendable fishing rod-like robot successfully clipped a piece of gravel of about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches), the size of a tiny bit of granola, from the top surface of a mound of molten fuel debris that sits on the bottom of the No. 2 reactor’s primary containment vessel.
The “telesco” robot, with its frontal tongs still holding the melted fuel bit, returned to the enclosed container for safe storage after workers in full hazmat gear pulled it out of the containment vessel earlier Saturday.
The sample return marks the first time the melted fuel is retrieved out of the containment vessel. But the mission is not over until it's certain that the sample's radioactivity is below a set standard and safely placed into a container.
If the radioactivity exceeds the limit, the robot must go back inside the reactor to find another piece. TEPCO officials said they expect the piece is small enough to meet the requirement.
The mission initially started in August for what was supposed to be a two-week round trip but had been suspended twice due to mishaps.
First one was the procedural mistake at the beginning that held up the work for nearly three weeks, then the robot’s two cameras designed to transmit views of the target areas for its operators in the remote control room failed. The camera problem required the robot to be pulled out all the way for replacement before the mission resumed Monday.
Fukushima Daiichi lost its key cooling systems during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, causing meltdowns in its three reactors. An estimated 880 tons of fatally radioactive molten fuel remains in them, and TEPCO has carried out a number of robotic probes to figure out how to decommission the plant.
Telesco on Wednesday successfully clipped a piece presumably measuring less than 3 grams (0.1 ounce) from the planned area right underneath the Unit 2 reactor core, from which large amounts of melted fuel fell during the meltdown 13 years ago, TEPCO said.
Plant chief Akira Ono said only the tiny spec can provide key data to plan decommissioning strategy, develop necessary technology and robots and retroactively learn how the accident had developed.
The government and TEPCO have set a 30-to-40-year target for the cleanup, which experts say is overly optimistic and should be updated.
No specific plans for the full removal of the fuel debris or its final disposal have been decided.
FILE - Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, also known as TEPCO, the operator of Japan's wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, reveals a robot to be used to retrieve debris at the power plant in Kobe, western Japan, May 28, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP, File)
A device to remove debris from a reactor at the damaged Fukushima Nuclear power plant demonstrates to pinch a stone, as revealed in Kobe, western Japan, May 28, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP, File)
ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks seemed to be a team on the rise when they made an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.
It proved to be a mirage.
What followed was three seasons of infuriating mediocrity, which returned the Hawks to the sort of middle-of-the-pack purgatory that has been a familiar spot through most of their existence.
Now, with a more defensive-minded approach and a roster that runs eight or nine deep, Atlanta is again showing signs of promise.
The Hawks beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 134-132 in overtime Friday night for their sixth straight victory — Atlanta's longest winning streak in nearly three years.
“The challenge of this is don’t get comfortable,” said Young, who hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds remaining. “It’s easy to get comfortable after you win a few games and feel good about yourself.”
Young had a huge night with 31 points and 20 assists, helping offset a 39-point performance by LeBron James and 38 points from Anthony Davis.
But the big key to the Hawks' recent success — which includes earning a spot in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup — has been those around Young.
Seven Hawks were in double figures against the Lakers, including three players coming off the bench. Former starter De'Andre Hunter has settled comfortably into a sixth-man role since returning from an ailing knee, scoring 26 points and drawing a double team that freed up Young for the winning 3.
“This wasn’t the first night that it’s been like this,” Young pointed out. "Even in some of our losses, we had a lot of guys scoring, so we've just gotta keep it going. Now that we've got guys healthy, we've found a little rhythm.”
After Hunter went down in the opening week of the season, the Hawks moved No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher into the starting lineup.
While the 19-year-old Frenchmen is still a work in progress, bringing Hunter off the bench is working out just fine. He is averaging more than 19 points a game while continuing to be one of the team's best players at the defensive end.
Then there's Dyson Daniels, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans Pelicans and seemed a sign that the Hawks were going into rebuilding mode.
While Daniels didn't do much during his time in the Big Easy, the 6-foot-8 guard with lanky arms that make him seem even taller, has give the Hawks another defensive stopper. He came up with two huge plays in the waning seconds of overtime, starting with a steal on a lazy bounce pass from Davis to James.
That one didn't produce points, as James hustled back to make a soaring block on Daniels driving to the hoop, giving the ball back to the Lakers.
But Daniels wasn't done. He helped tie up the taller Davis for a jump ball, and the Hawks wound up with one last shot when James tipped the ball out of bounds while scrambling with Hunter for possession,
Young made the Lakers pay.
“It's just effort," Hunter said. “That's what Dyson does. That's how he plays. I feel like I play the same way. At the end of the game, we need some plays, defensive plays, and me and Dyson being the premier defensive guys on the team, we have to make those plays.”
The Hawks still must prove this recent surge isn't just another tease.
“The challenge for us going forward,” Young said, “is how do we continue to do what we’ve been doing and getting stops and letting the offensive side take care of itself and play through each other?”
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Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) fouls Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) celebrates after scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) walks off the court after an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) reacts after scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) stops Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (12) from scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) celebrates after he scores, winning an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
