I see it as more of a redemption story.
Regarding the NYT article, here’s a note from a friend who works at NIF:
Regarding the 4×10^14 neutrons – that is an accurate number. But it doesn’t actually tell you anything, since the fuel is diluted. The NIC campaign is currently “tuning the engine” to get to the point of ignition over the next year or so. This involves refining the details of the implosion using a wide spectrum of x-ray, neutron, charged particle and optical diagnostics. Up until the point of ignition, the neutron yield is (by definition) low by a few orders of magnitude compared to passing the threshold of ignition. The whole point about ignition is that it is a cliff-edge phenomenon.
