First plasmas on the OpenStar "Junior" levitated dipole

OpenStar Technologies is a private fusion company exploring the levitated dipole concept for commercial fusion energy production. OpenStar has manufactured a new generation of levitated dipole leveraging the advances made in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technologies since the last experiments of LDX in a 5.2 m vacuum chamber with a modest ECRF power < 50 kW. Importantly, this experiment integrates novel HTS power supply technology on board the dipole magnet. Recently OpenStar has completed first experimental campaigns with the Junior experiment, achieving first plasmas in late 2024. Experiments conducted with the full levitated system are planned for Q3 2025. This presentation provides an overview of the main results from these experiments and details improvements planned for future campaigns. In addition, Junior has joined the MagNetUS ecosystem and will be made available as a discovery plasma science user facility beginning in Q1 2026. A full description of Junior’s capabilities will be presented.