Overview
- TEPCO began inserting a folded remote robot arm through the containment‑side X‑6 penetration on Friday, October 2, 2026 to gather three‑dimensional interior data.
- The arm is stored folded inside a metal “enclosure” and will be slowly extended into the vessel so cameras and 3D sensors can survey confined, high‑radiation spaces.
- Engineers will spend roughly three to four months cutting and removing obstacles such as steel rails using high‑pressure water jets before completing a full survey.
- The work is planned as a phased, roughly six‑month campaign that will precede a third experimental attempt to sample molten fuel debris in 2027.
- TEPCO says the remote operation both limits worker radiation exposure and will reduce technical uncertainty needed to plan future large‑scale debris retrieval during decommissioning.