The Sun and other main sequence stars are internally heated by fusion reactions involving hydrogen ions.
The first thermonuclear explosion, and thus the first man-made burning plasma, was the Ivy Mike test carried out by the United States in 1952.
[3] NIF achieved a fully ignited plasma on August 8, 2021,[5][6][7] and a scientific energy gain above one on December 5, 2022.
[8][9] Multiple tokamaks are currently under construction with the goal of becoming the first magnetically confined burning plasma experiment.
[11] The NIF burning plasma, despite not occurring in an energy context, has been characterised as a major milestone in the race towards nuclear fusion power,[12][13][14] with the perception that it could bring with it a better planet.