A 'BIG Gun' created to pave the way for the clean nuclear energy of the future has fired its first shot thanks to a Government minister.

Amanda Solloway MP, UK science minister and parliamentary under-secretary of state for science, research and innovation, visited Oxford yesterday (June 17) to fire the first shot of the 'Big Gun' created by energy research company First Light Fusion.

The Big Gun is part of First Light’s maiden fusion campaign.

At 22 metres long and weighing 25,000 kg, it is the largest hyper-velocity gas gun in the UK.

First Light finalised construction of the £1.1 million device in May 2021 and has since successfully completed the testing and commissioning phase.

Similar devices are typically used by astrophysicists to simulate meteorite impacts.

When fired, the gun will launch a projectile into a vacuum chamber at speeds of over 6.5 kilometers per second, or 20 times the speed of sound.

The projectile will hit a 'fusion target'– the centrepiece of First Light’s unique approach to fusion.

Once this target is hit, it is hoped it will create the conditions required for nuclear fusion, a way to generate energy which First Light describes as 'safe, clean, and virtually limitless, has the potential to transform the world’s energy system'.

Existing nuclear energy tech relies on a process called fission, which results in nuclear waste.

But with fusion there is no long-lived waste, no meltdown risk, and raw materials can be found in abundance.

The new gun is housed in a specifically constructed 10mm steel clad facility called ‘The Citadel’.

This maiden fusion campaign using the Big Gun will consist of 21 separate shots and is expected to conclude in late July.

Dr Nick Hawker, CEO of First Light Fusion, said: "This is a significant scientific milestone for First Light Fusion, as we begin our maiden fusion campaign using our new Big Gun.

"We are privileged to welcome the UK Science Minister Amanda Solloway MP to officially launch this campaign which will bring us closer to our target of delivering fusion using our unique technology. Our target design, which is the core element of our IP, has advanced significantly over the last 12 months.

"We are now able to amplify impact speeds by over 11 times in the space of just a few millimetres, breaking our previous records. This is key to creating the extraordinary pressure and temperature necessary for fusion.”