However, they believe that most debris may remain at the bottom of the pressure vessel for reactor 2. 19–21 July A remote operated robot takes the first pictures of the melted core of reactor 3. Some melted material hangs from the control-rod insertion mechanism under the pressure vessel, and there are piles of rocky objects at the bottom of the PCV that are thought to be melted core. 26 September A revised decommissioning roadmap has the removal of fuel rods from reactor 3 storage pool starting in 2018, but the removal of fuel rods from the reactor 1 and 2 storage pools will be delayed until 2023. Removal of melted fuel debris from one of the reactors is expected to begin by 2021. 2018 19 January Unit 2 containment is investigated with a camera. The containment floor below the reactor is found to be covered with sandy and clay-like deposits that are thought to be fuel debris. Some fuel assembly components are seen on the floor. No significant damage is seen on the inner wall. The radiation dose rate in the containment varies between 7 and 42 grays per hour, depending on the location. 2019 15 February A robot with two "fingers" makes first contact with the fuel debris in the primary containment vessel (PCV) of reactor 2. The robot was able to move loose debris at 7 of the 10 locations probed, providing hope that it may be possible to remove these deposits from the PCV. 2021 28 February Removing all 566 spent fuel assemblies from the storage pool of unit 3 is completed. See also 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster Radiation effects from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster Fukushima 50 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami List of civilian nuclear incidents (2010s) Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents Nuclear safety Notes References Wang, John X. and Marvin L. Roush (2000) What every engineer should know about risk engineering and management. London: CRC Press. ; (Japanese) External links Webcam Fukushima nuclear power plant I TEPCO near real-time radiation sensor data in English and Japanese; brief instructions for English-speaking readers on how to interpret the Japanese table data NISA Information update, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the nuclear safety authority of Japan JAIF Information update, Japan Atomic Industrial Forum JAEA Information update, Japan Atomic Energy Agency IAEA Update on Japan Earthquake, International Atomic Energy Agency Nature Journal –