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Experimental research campaign will generate high-fidelity data to advance understanding of graphite under extreme impact conditions

 

• Experiments will study graphite targets struck by steel projectiles at speeds above 3 km/s
• Advancing understanding of impact performance under extreme conditions
• Demonstrates the wider application of First Light’s specialist facilities and expertise across defence and advanced materials research

 

First Light Fusion has been selected to deliver an experimental campaign for the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to investigate the behaviour of graphite under high-velocity impact conditions.

First Light’s integrated gas gun and pulsed power platforms can reproduce extreme temperatures and pressures enabling customers to test materials and components under conditions relevant across aerospace, defence and space.

Combined with advanced diagnostics, simulation and proprietary amplification technology, these capabilities support high-quality experimental data.

The campaign will provide Dstl with valuable experimental data to improve understanding of material performance under extreme loading conditions, supporting ongoing research into material strength transitions, crater formation and energy dissipation mechanisms.

First Light Fusion will reproduce a landmark hypervelocity impact experiment conducted by Hébert et al. (2017), which examined the impact of steel projectiles into porous graphite. Replicating the study will enable direct comparison with published results, validating experimental methods and measurement accuracy while investigating an observed change in material behaviour at impact velocities above approximately 3 km/s.

The targets supplied by Dstl will be configured for post-shot recovery and detailed inspection, providing additional insight into damage mechanisms and impact effects.

Paul Holligan, VP, Commercial and Partnerships at First Light Fusion said:

"This programme demonstrates the growing demand for First Light Fusion's capabilities beyond fusion energy. Our expertise in hypervelocity impact physics and advanced diagnostics enables us to provide customers with unique experimental services, generating the high-quality data needed to understand material behaviour in some of the most extreme environments".

Dstl stated:

"This programme will generate valuable experimental evidence to deepen our understanding of how materials behave under hypervelocity impact. First Light Fusion’s specialist facilities and expertise will enable us to examine these effects across a carefully controlled range of conditions, supporting the development and validation of improved material models for defence applications”.

The project represents another example of how First Light Fusion's facilities, amplification technology and simulation capabilities, developed in support of its fusion mission, can support government and commercial organisations working on complex challenges in defence, aerospace and advanced materials research.

About First Light Fusion

First Light Fusion is an Oxford-based company making commercial fusion possible with FLARE, its two-stage fusion fuel system, while applying its unique capabilities to solve the hardest problems in space, defence and beyond.

Founded in 2011, First Light has spent 15 years building deep expertise across fusion physics, simulation, target design, precision manufacturing, and experimental validation. Its world-class facilities, including pulsed-power machines and the UK's largest two-stage gas gun, serve as multi-use platforms driving both fusion development and broader high-energy-density physics research under extreme conditions.

In September 2025, First Light published its landmark research paper, ‘FLARE – A Bold Strategy to Unlock Fusion Power’, outlining the world’s first commercially viable, reactor-compatible pathway to high-gain inertial fusion, offering a simpler, more viable route to abundant clean energy.

For more information, visit firstlightfusion.com

 

Media contacts:

Lorraine Fry, Head of Marketing and Communications, First Light Fusion

[email protected]

+44 (0) 7711071642