How a Robot is Grabbing Fuel From a Fukushima Reactor

TEPCO is nearing a milestone in the Fukushima nuclear plant cleanup, attempting to extract the first sample of melted fuel debris using a sophisticated robotic arm. The 22-meter-long device, developed by international partners, aims to retrieve 3 grams of the estimated 880 tons of radioactive material spread across three reactors. This sample could provide crucial information for future decommissioning work. Despite setbacks like camera malfunctions, TEPCO remains committed to the complex, decades-long process of dismantling the plant damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.