ITER and the path of minimum risk in fusion

Summary form only given. An analysis will be presented on ITER based on heat transfer considerations that will show the difficulties this machine will have to reach ignition. Based on this result, it will be argued that any inertial confinement scheme has a better chance to reach ignition. In particular, a case will be made for the spherical pinch, or its equivalent alternate concept, magnetized target fusion, as a scheme that offers a path of minimum risk for ignition.