Present Status of the ILC Project and Development
The Technical Design of the International Linear Collider (ILC) Project will be finished in late 2012. The Technical Design Report (TDR) will include a description of the updated design, with a cost estimate and a project plan, and the results of research and development (R & D) done in support of the ILC. Results from directed ILC R & D are used to reduce the cost and risk associated with the ILC design. We present a summary of key challenges and show how the global R & D effort has addressed them. The most important activity has been in pursuit of very high gradient superconducting RF linac technology. There has been excellent progress toward the goal of practical industrial production of niobium sheet-metal cavities with gradient performance in excess of 35 MV/m. In addition, three purpose-built beam test facilities have been constructed and used to study and demonstrate high current linac performance, electron-cloud beam dynamics and precision beam control. The report also includes a summary of component design studies and conventional facilities cost optimization design studies.