Tepco to send robot into Fukushima reactor 1 in bid to find melted fuel, collect samples

The operator of the disaster-struck Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant said Thursday it will attempt to examine the inside of reactor 1 next Tuesday using a remote-controlled robot. The move follows a botched attempt by another self-propelled robot to take a look inside reactor 2, which had also sustained a meltdown after the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. That robot became unable to move when it encountered debris and eventually could not be retrieved. These are the first attempts by Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc. to examine the insides of the wrecked reactors since the nuclear disaster started. For the reactor 1 inspection, Tepco said the new robot will carry out a four-day probe inside the containment vessel.