THE NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY AND INDUSTRY

The mission of the National Ignition Facility is to achieve ignition a nd gain in inertial confinement fusion targets in the laboratory. The facility will be used for defense applications such as weapons physics and weapons effects testing, and for civilian applications such as fu sion energy development and fundamental studies of matter at high temp eratures and densities. The National Ignition Facility construction pr oject will require the best of our construction industries and its suc cess will depend on the best products offered by hundreds of the natio n's high technology companies. Three-fourths of the construction costs will be invested in industry. This article reviews the design, cost a nd schedule, and required industrial involvement associated with the c onstruction project.