By Yucatan Times on January 6, 2021 Share Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device recently set a world record by maintaining its plasma with an ion temperature at over 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 seconds. According to a report by Engadget, no previous fusion machine lasted for more than 10 seconds in those conditions. Back in 2019, KSTAR had managed to hold out for just eight seconds. The report adds that it is an important step towards improving the Internal Transport Barrier (ITB) that helps with plasma confinement and stability. The main goal for KSTAR is to run for five minutes at a stretch at extreme temperature by 2025 and the breakthrough is an important step in that direction. It could prove to be vital if fusion reactors became a reality.