ITER is not cheap. But it is expected to get to first plasma by 2025. There will be things learned at ITER that will be applied to SPARC and other smaller react

ITER is not cheap. But it is expected to get to first plasma by 2025. There will be things learned at ITER that will be applied to SPARC and other smaller reactors. ITER is expected to cost a bit over twice what a fission plan costs. Considering the stakes, spending that money to learn things about fusion power generation seems well worth it.