TOKYO (AP) — Video feed issues halted on Tuesday the mission of a robot trying to retrieve the first sample of melted fuel debris from inside one of the damaged reactors at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the managing company said.
This is the second time in less than a month the mission had to be suspended. It was supposed to start on Aug. 22, but the wrong arrangement of a set of pipes used to push the robot into the reactor's primary containment vessel held up the work for nearly three weeks. The extendable robot, dubbed “ Telesco,” needs a week to reach the designated area and another week to be pulled back out as it has to be maneuvered around various obstacles and any mistake costs time.
Fukushima's cooling system was damaged during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, causing meltdowns in its three reactors. An estimated 880 tons of fatally radioactive molten fuel remains in them, and the Tokyo Electric Power Holdings Co. has been trying to access the reactors to figure out how to decommission the plant.
Telesco was to clip a fragment measuring less than 3 grams (0.1 ounce) on Tuesday from inside the Unit 2 primary containment vessel after successfully rehearsing over the weekend, TEPCO said. However, the images from two of its four cameras, designed to capture the movements of its clippers and their surroundings, wouldn't transmit to a monitor in a remote control room, forcing the mission to be suspended as the sampling couldn’t be carried out without the crucial visuals.
TEPCO said the cause is still under investigation, but problems with the cameras or their power cables, possibly due to high radiation that has caused equipment glitches in past internal probes. Technicians tried to turn the cameras on and off and reconnect the cables but weren't successful.
It remains unknown when the mission would resume.
It is planned for Telesco to make its way toward the area right underneath the Unit 2 reactor core, from which large amounts of melted fuel fell during the meltdown 13 years ago.
The government and TEPCO have set a 30-to-40-year target for the cleanup, which experts say is overly optimistic and should be updated.
No specific plans for the full removal of the fuel debris or its final disposal have been decided.
FILE - In this photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), workers connect pipes to push in a robot on a mission to retrieve the first sample of melted fuel debris from inside one of three damaged reactors at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.(Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings via AP, File)
FILE - Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, also known as TEPCO, the operator of Japan's wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, reveals a robot to be used to retrieve debris at the power plant in Kobe, western Japan, May 28, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP, File)/
TORONTO (AP) — Bo Horvat had two a goal and two assists, Isaiah George scored his first NHL goal and the New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Saturday night.
Maxim Tsyplakov, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal also scored and Ilya Sorokin stopped 27 shots to help end a two-game losing streak. Alexander Romanov, Simon Holmstrom and Anders Lee each had two assists.
William Nylander scored twice and Bobby McMann added a goal for Toronto, coming off a 6-3 victory in Buffalo on Friday night. The Maple Leafs were without captain Auston Matthews after he took a cross-check to the back late against the Sabres.
Joseph Woll allowed goals on two of the Islanders’ first three attempts on target. He finished with 28 saves. Toronto had won three straight.
Islanders: New York has five won straight against Toronto.
Maple Leafs: Toronto is 7-3-0 this season without Matthews.
Tsyplakov scored on New York’s first shot at 1:49 of the opening period, and Horvat doubled the lead at 4:48.
Both teams are back in action Monday night. The Islanders will host Buffalo, and the Maple Leafs will entertain Winnipeg.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Ryan Reaves (75) battles for the puck with New York Islanders defenceman Isaiah George (36) in front of Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (44) reacts after scoring his team's third goal on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
New York Islanders right wing Maxim Tsyplakov (7) celebrates with teammate after scoring on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (44) and New York Islanders center Kyle MacLean (32) battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) watches a Toronto Maple Leafs player control the puck at the side of his net during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs center David Kampf (64) celebrates with right wing William Nylander (88) after Nylander scored during second-period NHL hockey game action against the New York Islanders in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91), New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov (28) and Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) battle for the loose puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) watches the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) watches a Toronto Maple Leafs player control the puck at the side of his net during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) reacts after New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (not shown) scored during third-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat, center, celebrates after scoring his team's second goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (not shown) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
New York Islanders defenseman Isaiah George, center, celebrates after his first NHL goal with teammates Anthony Duclair (11) and Brock Nelson (29) during third-period hockey game action against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
