1. What is the committee’s assessment of continued scientific relevance of spherical torus research and the NSTX-U Facility’s contributions to that area of research? Does the facility address critical issues for fusion science?
2. Are there advances in plasma physics, or tokamak core technologies, since the NSTX-U project was designed and constructed that may impact the timeliness or relevance of proposed research at the NSTX-U Facility?
3. If the NSTX-U Facility resumes operations in 2020, what is the Committee’s opinion regarding the status and capabilities of other domestic and international spherical torus facilities?
4. Are PPPL’s plans to repair and operate NSTX-U as a national user facility sufficiently defined at this point in the recovery effort?
5. Are all major risks to successful repair and startup identified along with appropriate mitigations?
6. Are plans to safely commission and start-up the facility realistic and adequately detailed?
7. Is the cost and schedule for the repair complete, reasonable, and traceable?
8. Is the proposed leadership, management, and resources (e.g., engineering, procurement, QA/QC) adequate and appropriate to successfully complete the recovery plans?